Imagery

• Why is imagery important?– A classic example of internal mental representation– People are adept at storing and using images– Link between perception and abstract cognition

• Imagining is like perceiving• But there are some differences

Imagining is like perceiving• Functional similarities between pictures and images

– Scanning– Rotating– Zooming-in

• Imagery and language processes are different– Property verification (Kosslyn)– Interference between task and responses (Brooks)

• Physiological evidence for common areas• Similar patterns of sensitivity• Can’t always tell image from actual picture

Scanning

Rotation

Zooming in

Zooming in

Do cats have backs? Do cats have claws?

Answer by consulting your image

Answer any way you want

Brooks’ interference study

Method of responding

“For each edge, is it onthe extreme top orbottom of the shape?”

“For each word, is ita noun or not?”

Task

Point to Yes/No on a page

Say Yes or No

EasyEasy

Hard

Hard

Imagery and verbal abilities use different resources

Good performance if task and response do not use the same resource

F

Similar patterns of sensitivity in percepts and images

Reality monitoringCan’t always tell real presentation from image

Differences between pictures and images• Mental distortions

– Influence of boundaries on perception– Simplification of object models

• Images can’t be reinterpreted– Images = perception + interpretation

Distortions in images

Is X east/west of Y?

Congruent better thanHomogeneous

Homogeneous better than incongruent

Information about larger regions(counties) influencesjudgments about smallerregions (cities)

Images can’t be reinterpreted

What would this object look like ifrotated 90 degrees clockwise?

People usually cannot respond “seahorse” if using memorized image

People usually can respond “seahorse” if asked to draw image (frommemory), physically rotate paper, and then reinterpret drawing

Information is present in image, but hard to reinterpret flexibly