Question 1

Those who argue that we store mental imagery information in terms of propositions would claim that

Accepted Answer

Propositional theory suggests that mental imagery is stored in the form of language-like descriptions rather than in a format that closely resembles the physical appearance of the object. This means that the information is encoded and stored as abstract, semantic content, similar to how language conveys meaning through words and sentences, rather than through visual or spatial representations.

Question 2

Which of the following students would need to have the greatest spatial skill?

Accepted Answer

Engineering majors often require strong spatial skills for tasks such as visualizing and manipulating objects in space, designing structures, or understanding diagrams and blueprints.

Question 3

The research on mental rotation has shown that

Accepted Answer

Research on mental rotation has consistently shown that there is an age-related decline in the speed of mental rotation, with young people typically performing these tasks faster than elderly people. This is attributed to the general slowing of cognitive processes and possibly changes in spatial cognition with age.

Question 4

Cognitive neuroscience research on mental rotation suggests that the motor cortex is active when people mentally rotate objects

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cognitive neuroscience research on mental rotation suggests...

Question 5

How does mental imagery compare with perception?

Accepted Answer

Mental imagery relies on top-down processing because it involves the brain's interpretation and creation of visual images in the mind without direct input from external stimuli, using previous knowledge and experiences. Perception, on the other hand, involves both bottom-up (sensory input) and top-down (brain's interpretation) processes, not exclusively one or the other.

Question 6

If your mental image of your aunt's face is stored in an analog code,

Accepted Answer

Analog codes in the context of mental imagery, such as visualizing a face, involve representations that closely mimic the actual physical appearance of the object being imagined. Therefore, if your mental image of your aunt's face is stored in an analog code, the representation would resemble the specific features and facial arrangement found on her face.

Question 7

Suppose that researchers are studying mental rotation, and they are comparing the performance of one group of people who are deaf and are fluent in American Sign Language and a second group of people who are not deaf and have had no experience with American Sign Language. Which of the following patterns of results would you be most likely to find, with respect to mental rotation?

Accepted Answer

The individuals who are deaf and fluent in American Sign Language would likely be more skilled at mental rotation tasks because their experience with ASL involves interpreting hand positions and movements from various perspectives, enhancing their spatial and visual processing skills.

Question 8

Which of the following people would be expected to be especially skilled at 180° mental rotations?

Accepted Answer

Deaf people who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) often develop enhanced spatial skills, including mental rotation abilities, due to the three-dimensional spatial nature of sign language communication.

Question 9

According to the discussion of the history of research on mental imagery,

Accepted Answer

The popularity of mental imagery research indeed increased with the rise of cognitive psychology, which shifted focus towards understanding internal mental processes, including imagery, after the dominance of behaviorism which largely ignored unobservable phenomena like mental imagery.

Question 10

In the Shepard and Metzler study, people judged whether two figures that were in different orientations were the same or different. What did this study demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

The study demonstrated that the time it takes to determine if two figures are the same or different is directly related to the degree of rotation between them, indicating that mental rotation is a process similar to physical rotation.

Question 11

Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about analog codes and propositional codes for mental images?

Accepted Answer

An analog code refers to a mental representation that closely resembles the physical object, emphasizing the physical resemblance between a visual stimulus and the mental image.

Question 12

Suppose that you are taking a course in geometry. You are trying to determine whether two geometric shapes are identical, so you mentally rotate one of the figures in a clockwise fashion. You are likely to find that

Accepted Answer

Mental rotation studies show that the time it takes to mentally rotate an object increases with the angle of rotation, meaning rotating an object 120° takes longer than rotating it 40°.

Question 13

Suppose that you and a group of other students want to conduct a study on mental rotation, using photographs of human faces. You find that people take longer to rotate a mental image, as the size of the rotation increases. Which approach do your data support?

Accepted Answer

The analog approach is supported by your data because it suggests that mental imagery works in a way similar to physical objects, where the time it takes to "rotate" an image in the mind increases with the size of the rotation, mirroring real-world physics. This is in contrast to the propositional approach, which would not predict a relationship between rotation size and time taken, as it views mental imagery as abstract symbols and not as visual/spatial representations.

Question 14

According to the introduction of the chapter on imagery,

Accepted Answer

Psychologists have indeed conducted more research on visual imagery than on any other kind of imagery, reflecting its perceived importance in cognitive processes and its accessibility for study.

Question 15

Suppose that you have a mental image of your favorite male actor. If that image is stored in a propositional code, the representation would emphasize

Accepted Answer

Propositional code emphasizes a language-like description, meaning that the mental image would be stored and represented in terms of descriptive statements or propositions rather than in a visual or spatial format.

Question 16

One of the most difficult problems in conducting research on imagery is that

Accepted Answer

Imagery, as an internal mental process, is inherently difficult to observe and measure directly, making research challenging.

Question 17

Psychologists have studied how deaf individuals perform on mental rotation tasks when they are fluent in American Sign Language. The research shows that these individuals:

Accepted Answer

Deaf individuals fluent in American Sign Language often perform better on mental rotation tasks because ASL requires a strong spatial and visual understanding, which can enhance the ability to view scenes from different perspectives.

Question 18

When people look at a 3-dimensional figure and mentally rotate this figure,

Accepted Answer

People perform mental rotations more quickly for smaller angular differences between the initial and target orientations, indicating that the time it takes to mentally rotate an image increases with the angle of rotation. This suggests that mental rotation is an analog process, akin to physically rotating an object.

Question 19

An analog code means that

Accepted Answer

An analog code in the context of mental representation means that the representation in the mind is similar in form to the physical object it represents. This is akin to a picture-like representation where the mental image retains some of the physical characteristics of the object.

Question 20

Which of the following students provides the most accurate information about the current importance of mental imagery and spatial skills?

Accepted Answer

Spatial ability is crucial in science and technology careers, as it involves visualizing and manipulating objects, which is essential in fields like engineering and architecture.

Quiz 7: Mental Imagery and Cognitive Maps