Final Exam Flashcards
(26 cards)
Visual Imagery
“seeing” in the absence of a visual stimulus
Mental Imagery
experiencing a sensory impression in the absence of sensory input (applies to all of the senses)
Imageless Thought Debate
scientific debate over whether thinking can occur w/o imagery
Paired-Associate Learning
- participants presented w/ word pairs, later presented w/ first word and asked to recall its pair
- found memory for words evoking mental images is better than for those that do not
Mental Chronometry
- participants mentally rotate one object to see if it matches other object
- greater separation between shapes = longer response time
Mental Scanning Technique
- create mental image and scan from one end to the other in their mind
- took participants longer to mentally move long distances than shorter distances
- like perception, imagery is spatial OR more distractions during scanning increase reaction time
Propositional Representations
- abstract, language-like descriptions
- similar to semantic networks; concepts linked by descriptive relationships
- not as likely as spatial
Imagery Size Experiment
- imagined 2 different sized animals side by side and asked descriptive questions about one of them (ex. rabbit)
- responded faster when rabbit was imagined larger (next to fly) than when it was smaller (next to elephant)
- larger mental images allow easier access to detail; similar to real-world perception
Mental Walk Task
- imagine walking toward animal, report when image “overflows” visual field
- closer distance for smaller animals, farther distance for large animals
- mimics real-world experience indicating mental images are spatial
Perky (1910)
- visualize object projected on screen, unknown that same object is actually faintly projected
- mental images then match projected images
- suggests strong overlap between perception and imagery
Farah (1985)
- imagined H or T on screen before one of them is flashed
- higher accuracy when image matched what was imagined
- suggests shared mechanisms between imagery and perception
Imagery Neurons
respond similarly to perceiving and imagining specific objects
Le BiHan & Coworkers (1993)
- activity in visual cortex increased when viewing actual stimuli (perception) and imagining stimuli (imagery)
- suggests shared mechanisms between imagery and perception
Kosslyn (1995)
- created mental images of different sizes
- smaller images activated back of visual cortex, larger images toward the front (similar to visual perception)
- supports spatial nature of mental imagery
Ganis & Coworkers (2004)
- perception and imagery share similar neural mechanisms in frontal areas
- activation differences primarily in visual cortex where perception is more intense than imagery
Brain Activity in Response to Imagery
- may indicate something is happening
- may not be the cause of imagery
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- decreases brain functioning in a particular area of the brain for a short time
- if behavior is disrupted, that behavior is likely caused by the deactivated part of the brain
Kosslyn & Coworkers (1999)
- view display and judge stripe length, imagine display and make same judgment
- TMS in visual cortex = slower rt for both tasks
- brain activity in visual areas plays causal role in perception and imagery
Patient M.G.S.
- Pre-Op: felt 15 ft away from imagined horse before visual overflow
- Post-Op: (removal of right occipital lobe) perceived distance of same imaginary horse now 35 ft
Unilateral Neglect
damage to the parietal lobes can lead to neglect of one half of the visual field, affecting both perception and imagery
Dissociations Between Imagery and Perception
- can impair one and not the other; can function independently
- ambiguous figures: can switch when looking at image, unable to when imagining; mental images more difficult to manipulate than perceptual images
Method of Loci
- placing images at locations
- visualizing items in different locations in mental image of spatial layout in order to remember
Pegword Technique
- pair items with associated concrete words (pegword)
- create vivid image of things to be remembered w/ the object represented by the word
Language
system of communication that uses sounds or symbols that enable us to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas, and experiences; hierarchical, rule-based, and universal
