chapter 10: visual imagery

Question 1

define mental imagery

Answer 1

our ability to mentally recreated a perceptual experience in the absence of a sensory stimulus

Question 2

name the different types of imagery based on different sensory modalities

Answer 2

auditory imagery
tactile imagery
olfactory imagery

Question 3

what is the vividness of imagery

Answer 3

how clearly we can create an image in our mind’s eye
- familiarity can enhance vividness

Question 4

in Greenberg & Knowlton (2014) experiment, what difference can we notice when comparing visual imagery with auditory imagery?

Answer 4

visual imagery: visualizer = verbalizer
auditory imagery: visualizer < verbalizer

Question 5

what is the dual coding theory

Answer 5

human knowledge is represented by 2 separate systems
- verbal system
- nonverbal, imagery system

Question 6

what is an abstract code

Answer 6

arbitrary symbol system in which the symbols don’t resemble their real-world referent

Question 7

what is an analog code

Answer 7

a way to store infos that resembles the physical stimulus represented

Question 8

name the two viewpoints of the imagery debate

Answer 8

1. analogue form of representation (Kosslyn)
2. by-product of a symbolic code (Pylyshyn)

Question 9

explain Pylyshyn’s propositional theory

Answer 9

• knowledge is represented as propositional code
• propositions can be used to create mental experiences (images or words)

Question 10

Explain what Pylyshyn means by “images are epiphenomena” of fundamental cognitive processing

Answer 10

images are a by-product that arise from a process but does not have a causal effect on that process

Question 11

Explain Kosslyn’s depictive representation theory

Answer 11

knowledge
- represented directly as mental image or linguistic code

Question 12

what is descriptive representation

Answer 12

symbolic codes that convey abstract conceptual information and do not resemble their real-life referent

Question 13

name the three techniques used to investigate whether images did maintain the spatial characteristics of physical stimuli

Answer 13

mental scanning
mental rotation
mental scaling

Question 14

describe Kosslyn, Ball and Reiser (1978) research that supported mental scanning

Answer 14

• Ps memorize map with landmark at diff distance
• further the scanning, longer the RT

Question 15

describe Crowder’s (1989) experiment on auditory imagery vs perception

Answer 15

1. played tones from same or diff instrument
   - Ps quicker to respond if tone was the same if they were from same instrument
2. 1st tone imagine, 2nd played
   - RT ↑ when perceived and heard timbre were the same

Question 16

describe the experiment conducted by Segal and Fusella that showed interference of perception by imagery

Answer 16

• Ps visualize auditory/visual image (imagery)
• Ps detect visual/auditory stimulus (perception)
• visual imagery interfered with visual perception and auditory imagery interfered with auditory perception

Question 17

explain the research that showed how can imagery facilitate perception

Answer 17

• create visual image of a letter
• asked to detect the letter
• Ps were more accurate at detecting the same letter they were imagining

Question 18

define motion aftereffects

Answer 18

occurs after viewing continuous motion in one direction for a long period of time.
when looking away, static objects appear to move in opposite direction

Question 19

how was it proven that imagery uses the same cells as perception

Answer 19

• Ps imagine motion in one direction for 60 sec (imagery)
• creates motion aftereffects
• since motion aftereffects occurs bc of activity of cells in visual system, imagery makes use of the same cells

Question 20

define falsification and explain why science relies on it

Answer 20

when theories are tested in order to prove they are false
- evidence that confirms theory = can’t be sure if theory true or just true to the experiment
- evidence against theory = can conclude theory isn’t supported

Question 21

explain one research that showed evidence against depictive explanation

Answer 21

• Ps memorize a picture
• indicate if new figures were part of original pic
• accuracy was low in some cases
• conclude that images are stored using meaningful verbal labels instead of depictive representations

Question 22

define experimenter expectancy

Answer 22

technique in which an experimenter may unconsciously communicate to Ps their expectations abt what they expect the results to be, causing P to unconsciously behave according to experimenter’s expectations

Question 23

define demand characteristics

Answer 23

subtle cues in experimental tasks or instructions that may bias Ps behavior

Question 24

name one difficulty with drawing conclusions from patients with brain damage

Answer 24

damage is rarely localized to particular brain region and it is very unusual to find multiple patients with same pattern of damage

Question 25

name the brain damage and the correct deficit associated with each patient - TC - mme D - PB

Answer 25

- TC: occipital and temporal lobes = cortical blindness + loss in visual imagery - mme D: portion of the brain bordering occipital and temporal lobes = visual deficit, but intact imagery - PB: occipital cortex = cortical blindness, but intact imagery

Question 26

which regions of the brain are involved in both imagery and perception

Answer 26

brain areas near front of brain - involved in planning, cognitive control, attention, etc

Question 27

why is the V1 less engaged in imagery compared to perception

Answer 27

lack of physical stimulus - nothing detected by receptor cells and sent to V1

Question 28

how can the activity in FFA be described when viewing pictures of faces compared to imagining those same faces? a. smaller b. larger c. about the same d. depends on stimuli

Answer 28

b. larger

Question 29

what is the goal of the multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA)

Answer 29

to use patterns of brain activity during different tasks to distinguish what a person is processing on future trials

Question 30

what are generative adversarial networks (GANs)

Answer 30

artificial neural nets that are put in competition with each other in which one network tries to generate images and the other tries to pick out the artificially generated images from real images - generator network - discriminator network

Question 31

define picture superiority effect

Answer 31

memory is better for pictures than words

Question 32

how does Paivio explain the picture superiority effect

Answer 32

pic: create visual representation + verbal label word: only verbal label benefit of images is that we store them in memory using 2 codes instead of one

Question 33

define the concreteness effect

Answer 33

concrete words are remembered better than abstract words

Question 34

what is the function of a dynamic visual noise display (DVN)

Answer 34

interferes with the ability to create images

Question 35

True or false? imagery is less effective in evoking emotions than verbal processing

Answer 35

false, imagery more effective

Question 36

anxiety and depression are both associated with what type of imagery? increased/decreased positive/negative imagery

Answer 36

increased negative

Question 37

how is excessive worrying used as a coping mechanism in people with GAD

Answer 37

worry is verbal code verbal code less vivid than imagery reduces negative emotions associated with anxiety

Question 38

what is imagery rescripting

Answer 38

treat anxiety and depression - Ps guided through memories of past negative/traumatic experiences - imagine their younger selves acting in a way they wish they could have during the event

Question 39

Since mental imagery differs from person to person, what are two ways researchers used to measure mental imagery

Answer 39

1. self-report questionnaires (VVIQ) 2. objective, performance test (PFT)

Question 40

the PFT is considered to test ___ while the VVIQ is considered to test ___

Answer 40

spatial ability; object imagery

Question 41

define congetinal aphantasia

Answer 41

inability to form mental images in the absence of brain damage

Question 42

define hyperphantasia

Answer 42

having extremely vivid mental imagery

Question 43

in Highben & Palmer (2004) experiment on imagery and memory, what were the 4 feedback types Ps had to perform

Answer 43

1. normal 2. motor only 3. auditory only 4. no performance

Question 44

what were the findings of Highben & Palmer's experiment (piano experiment)

Answer 44

memory ↓ as feedback available at practice ↓ - auditory imagery compensates for lack of feedback

Question 45

a common experience among synesthetes is chromesthesia. what is it

Answer 45

sound or tone is linked to a particular color

Question 46

true or false? synesthesia can influence memory

Answer 46

true, chromesthesia helps memory of specific pitches and music

Question 47

what is amusia

Answer 47

deficit in musical abilities - tone deafness