Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Spatial skill refers to the ability to mentally manipulate and visualize objects and their relationships in three-dimensional space. Engineering majors, like Elise, generally require strong spatial skills in order to design and create structures and systems. The other majors listed do not typically require as much emphasis on spatial skills.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Qing's description of analog code accurately reflects the idea that an analog code represents the physical resemblance between a visual stimulus and the corresponding mental image. Dave's description is incorrect as it conflates analog codes with sensory receptors. D'Naijha's description is inaccurate as it describes the focus of a propositional code as being on sensory portions of the brain, while in reality, propositional codes are based on abstract symbols and their relationships. Oscar's description also describes propositional codes, not analog codes, as it emphasizes spatial relationships between components.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that people make judgments more quickly when mentally rotating a figure only a small distance, rather than a large distance. The other options are not supported by research.

Question 4

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 finding that people take longer to mentally rotate a human face as the degree of rotation increases supports the analog approach, which suggests that mental images are represented and manipulated in a format similar to sensory stimuli. This is because the rotation of a face in mental imagery is similar to physically rotating a face in the real world, and this process involves analog representations. The propositional approach suggests that mental imagery is formed through abstract propositions or words rather than visual images, and this finding is not consistent with that approach.

Question 5

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 Shepard and Metzler study demonstrated that the amount of rotation necessary before making "same-different" judgments influences decision speed. Participants took longer to decide if two figures were the same or different when the figures required a larger rotation in mental imagery.

Question 6

The research on mental rotation has shown that

Accepted Answer

The research on mental rotation consistently shows that young people perform faster and more accurately than elderly people in mental rotation tasks. Option A is incorrect because there is no evidence that people use different strategies for rotating letters of the alphabet versus abstract geometric figures. Option B is incorrect because there are significant differences in the ability of right-handed and left-handed people to recognize pictures of left and right hands. Option D is incorrect because there is no evidence to suggest that young and elderly people differ greatly in their sense of direction.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Imagery is a mental process that is inaccessible to direct observation or measurement, which makes it difficult to study. While individual differences do exist, they are not so large as to make it impossible to find consistent results. People's introspections about imagery can be valuable sources of information for researchers, rather than hindrances. Finally, most people use imagery on a regular basis, although the specific ways they use it may vary.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Cognitive neuroscience research on mental rotation suggests that the motor cortex is active when people mentally rotate objects after first having physically rotated objects with their hands. This suggests that the motor cortex is involved in the mental rotation process and that previous motor experience with object rotation can facilitate mental rotation.

Question 9

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

A propositional code emphasizes language-like descriptions rather than spatial relationships or perceptual imagery.

Question 10

According to the introduction of the chapter on imagery,

Accepted Answer

The introduction of the chapter on imagery states that psychologists have conducted more research on visual imagery than any other kind of imagery, indicating that option C is correct. Option A is incorrect, as the introduction does not suggest that people seldom use mental images in problem solving or higher mental processes. Option B is also incorrect, as there is no mention of students reporting equal use of visual and auditory imagery. Option D is incorrect, as the introduction does not suggest that radical behaviorists were the first to pay attention to imagery in the late 1920s.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Analog code refers to a mental representation that closely resembles the physical properties of a stimulus. Therefore, if the mental image of the aunt's face is stored in an analog code, it would retain the specific features and facial arrangement found on the aunt's face.

Question 12

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 be more skilled at mental rotation because they are accustomed to seeing hand positions from a different perspective. Their experience with American Sign Language involves mentally rotating and manipulating hand shapes and movements, which could transfer to mental rotation tasks. The lack of auditory information would not necessarily give them an advantage, as it is not directly related to mental rotation abilities. The individuals who are not deaf would not have extra practice "translating" auditory stimulation into visual images, as mental rotation tasks do not involve translating auditory information.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

The article states that "the popularity of mental imagery began to increase through the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with the rise of cognitive psychology."

Question 14

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

Research has shown that people are faster at mentally rotating geometric shapes when the angle of rotation is smaller (e.g., 40°) compared to larger angles (e.g., 120°). Therefore, it is likely that you will take longer to mentally rotate the figure 120° than 40°. The other answer choices are not supported by research findings.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

Assaf's statement is the most accurate as spatial ability has been found to be important for careers related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Research has shown that individuals with stronger spatial skills are often better problem solvers in these fields.

Question 16

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 17

How does mental imagery compare with perception?

Accepted Answer

Mental imagery relies on the same top-down processing as perception, involving the use of stored knowledge and expectations to generate mental representations of sensory experiences. While perception also involves bottom-up processing, which relies on sensory input from the environment, mental imagery can be generated in the absence of any external stimuli.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Those who argue that we store mental imagery information in terms of propositions believe that mental imagery is stored in a language-like format, with propositions serving as the basic units of representation. So, the answer is option C, storage is most like language.

Question 19

An analog code means that

Accepted Answer

An analog code refers to a representation that closely resembles the physical object it represents, hence the term "analog". This is in contrast to a digital code, where information is stored in an abstract, symbolic form.

Question 20

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

Studies have found that deaf individuals who are fluent in American Sign Language have better spatial abilities, including mental rotation tasks, compared to hearing individuals. This may be due to their reliance on visual-spatial processing for language and communication, which may enhance their ability to view objects from different perspectives. Therefore, they make fewer errors than other people.

Quiz 7: Mental Imagery and Cognitive Maps