Hemispheric specialization (word and pictures)
- Word processing better in LH than RH
- Picture processing better in RH than LF
Dual coding theory
- Can represent code in verbal and visual images
- Type of code used will depend on nature of information, the task, and individual differences
Mental imagery of concrete vs abstract words
- High imagry words (H) and low imagery words (L)
- Recall ability: (H + H) > (H + L) > (L + H) > (L + L)
- When we get pairs of items we compound the image (car in front of house)
Mental imagery questionaires
- VVIQ: vividness of mental imagery
- QMI: Questionnaire of mental imagery
- TVIC: test of visual imagery control
Memory performance between high and low imagers
- Concrete words are better imaged by high imagery people
- Abstract words had no difference between high and low imagery people
Mental practice between high and low imagers
No difference between performance unless there was mental practice and no physical practice
Mental practice between simple and complex tasks
- No difference between mental practice and no mental practice
- The person having high or low imagery does not matter
Functional equivalence
- Images are abstract-analog representations of objects
- Not one-to-one representations
- Not tied to visual input
- Can similuate continuous change
First-order isomorphism
- Objects are directly/structurally represented in brain
- Does not happen
Second-order isomorphism
Relations between objects in cognitive system are the same as relations in the physical world
Mental rotation study
- Mental rotation of 3D objects
- People shown first figure
- Indicate whether second image is the same or different
- Requires mental rotation
- Time to decide varies depending on how far the object needs to be rotated
- Provides evidence for non-verbal, imagery code
Size of mental rotation
- In the realy world, the amount of detail we see positively correlates with the size of the image
- Same outcome for mental images
Mental scanning
- Trained to image a map of an island
- Focus on one location
- Scan to a second location and indicate when there
- Scanning time increased as the distance increased
- Similar to visual perception
