Visual Imagery

Question 1

mental imagery

Answer 1

experiencing a sensory impression in the absence of sensory input

Question 2

visual imagery

Answer 2

“seeing” in the absence of a visual stimulus

Question 3

Kosslyn

Answer 3

it took longer for participants to mentally move long distances than shorter distances

like perception, imagery is spatial

Question 4

Lea

Answer 4

more distractions when scanning longer distances may have increase reaction time

not due to longer distance but to
intervening objects/distractions

Question 5

Kosslyn et al.

Answer 5

it took longer to scan between greater distances on a map
- this way you can control for the amount of intervening objects

visual imagery is spatial

Question 6

spatial imagery

Answer 6

pictures & images

a representation in which different parts of an image can be described as corresponding to specific locations in space

Question 7

propositional imagery

Answer 7

symbols & language
A representation in which relationships are represented by symbols, as when the words of a language represent objects and the relationships between objects.

Question 8

Pylyshyn

Answer 8

longer scanning time when more links must be traversed (# of steps)
- proportional representation

Question 9

Tacit-knowledge explanation

Answer 9

use real world knowledge unconsciously to do something

- people know it takes longer to move further distances (maps)

Question 10

relationship between viewing distance and ability to perceive details

Answer 10

people were slower to respond about rabbit when it was next to the elephant vs the fly

• representing rabbit propositionally (symbolically) so there is not reason why one would take longer than the other
• Kosslyn

Question 11

Perky

Answer 11

When the object they were imagining was the same on the screen peoples description matched what was on the screen even if they weren’t aware of it
- confused mental image and perception

Question 12

Farah

Answer 12

Participants were better at detecting location of letter if it was the same letter that they had just imagined vs if it wasn’t the same

Question 13

Kreiman et al.

Answer 13

• Medial temporal lobes
• category specific neurons = neurons that would fire for perception were also fired for imagery
• imagery neurons respond to both perceiving and imaging an object

Question 14

LeBihan

Answer 14

fMRI of primary visual cortex

• active for perception and imagery
• imagery was above baseline but below perception

Question 15

Gains and coworkers

Answer 15

Front and middles areas of cortex had very similar activation for perception and imagery
back of cortex more active for perception than imagery
- the activation doesnt though mean that it is necessary for imagery

Question 16

Kosslyn et al.

Answer 16

TMS applied to visual cortex during perception and imagery tasks

• response time slower for both
• activity in visual cortex plays a causal role for both

Question 17

Mental Walk Task

Farah

Answer 17

Part of right occipital lobe removed

• before removal could get with 15ft in minds eye
• after removal could get 35ft within image
• visual cortex is important to imagery

Question 18

Perception and imagery results

Answer 18

• mechanisms partially overlap
• visual perception involves bottom up processing (lower visual areas and moving up)
• imagery is top down process (starting at higher visual areas and moving down)
• share the same machinery but driving it from different directions

Question 19

damage

Answer 19

damage in the visual receiving area - more intact for imagery and less for perception

damage at higher visual areas stop imagery from working, perception can get further

Question 20

mental chronometry

Answer 20

using response time to infer the content, duration, and sequencing of cognitive processes