2.1 Cognition: Thinking & Remembering
Problem 5 – Imagine this.
Literature: Matlin; Reed
Imagery debate: Whether mental imagery resembles perception (analog code) or language
(propositional code) more.
- Mental imagery: elusive, inaccessible
→ logic: if mental image is like the real object, then judgements must be the same
Analog (depictive, pictorial representation)
= representation similar to physical object
- Support
o Responses to mental images often similar to responses to physical objects
- Kosslyn et al. developed model with different subsystems (manipulate mental images)
o Visual imagery and perception have same subsystems
o E.g. shifting attention
Imagine a cat. → *mental image* → “does it have curved claws?” → *attention to paws +
zoom*
Propositional code (descriptive representation)
= abstract, language like (not natural language) representation; doesn´t resemble physical object
- Pylyshyn: images need a lot of mental storage space → pro propositional
Imagery and Rotation
Shepard & Metzler´s Research
- Decide whether figure is same or different
- Measure amount of time
- Results: two- and three-dimensional same speed
o ↑rotation → ↑ time to match
Interesting findings:
- Elderly: ↑ time for rotation
- Practice has no influence on rotation speed
- Deaf people are fast at rotating 180°
- Rotation studies: much support for analog-coding approach
Imagery and Distance
Kosslyn´s research (1978)
- Linear relationship between distance to be scanned in mental image and amount of time required to
scan the distance
Imagery and Shape
Paivio´s study (1978)
- Judgement about angles of clock hands (e.g. 7:20 and 5:25 or 7:05)
- Results: when physical objects differ → response is quicker (just like mental images)
Interference
Visual – Audio
- Segal and Fusella´s study (1970) – imagin visual image of e.g. tree and auditory image of flute
o Detect another physical stimulus
o Result: problems detecting stimulus when image and signal was of same sensory mode
Motor imagery
- Difficulty doing physical motor task when thinking about doing other task
→ e.g. imagine volleyball serve while steering a car. → difficult to create motor image
- Wexler´s study (1998) -turn joystick in certain direction while judging whether image needs to be
turned left/right to match other item.
Problem 5 – Imagine this.
Literature: Matlin; Reed
Imagery debate: Whether mental imagery resembles perception (analog code) or language
(propositional code) more.
- Mental imagery: elusive, inaccessible
→ logic: if mental image is like the real object, then judgements must be the same
Analog (depictive, pictorial representation)
= representation similar to physical object
- Support
o Responses to mental images often similar to responses to physical objects
- Kosslyn et al. developed model with different subsystems (manipulate mental images)
o Visual imagery and perception have same subsystems
o E.g. shifting attention
Imagine a cat. → *mental image* → “does it have curved claws?” → *attention to paws +
zoom*
Propositional code (descriptive representation)
= abstract, language like (not natural language) representation; doesn´t resemble physical object
- Pylyshyn: images need a lot of mental storage space → pro propositional
Imagery and Rotation
Shepard & Metzler´s Research
- Decide whether figure is same or different
- Measure amount of time
- Results: two- and three-dimensional same speed
o ↑rotation → ↑ time to match
Interesting findings:
- Elderly: ↑ time for rotation
- Practice has no influence on rotation speed
- Deaf people are fast at rotating 180°
- Rotation studies: much support for analog-coding approach
Imagery and Distance
Kosslyn´s research (1978)
- Linear relationship between distance to be scanned in mental image and amount of time required to
scan the distance
Imagery and Shape
Paivio´s study (1978)
- Judgement about angles of clock hands (e.g. 7:20 and 5:25 or 7:05)
- Results: when physical objects differ → response is quicker (just like mental images)
Interference
Visual – Audio
- Segal and Fusella´s study (1970) – imagin visual image of e.g. tree and auditory image of flute
o Detect another physical stimulus
o Result: problems detecting stimulus when image and signal was of same sensory mode
Motor imagery
- Difficulty doing physical motor task when thinking about doing other task
→ e.g. imagine volleyball serve while steering a car. → difficult to create motor image
- Wexler´s study (1998) -turn joystick in certain direction while judging whether image needs to be
turned left/right to match other item.
