mental imagery & cognitive maps dr. claudia j. stanny exp 4507 memory & cognition spring...
TRANSCRIPT
Overview
• Role of images in long-term retention• Representation of images in long-term
memory• Characteristics of mental images• Cognitive maps
Claudia J. Stanny 2
How are images used for long-term retention?
Dual Coding Hypothesis (Paivio)• Imagery Code• Verbal Code
Relevant evidence:• Memory for abstract and
concrete words• Time required to encode
in each system• Effects of speed of
presentation on code used
RABBIT
3Claudia J. Stanny
Use of imagery in mnemonic systems
Method of loci
Keyword technique
Pegword technique
Claudia J. Stanny 4
Why does Imagery Improve Memory?
Images produce a larger number of associations between encoded items
Interacting images produce more links & more reliable links than separate images
5Claudia J. Stanny
How are images related to perception?
Analog code• Proposes that images are closely related to
perception and perceptual processes• Images are analogous to our perception of physical
objects
Propositional code• Proposes that images are closely related to language
and language-like abstract coding• Abstract representations with no physical
resemblance to the objects stored
Claudia J. Stanny 6
Evidence relating images and perceptual processes
Mental rotation
Representation of physical distances
Representation of shape
Interpretation and memory for ambiguous figures
Modality-specific interference
Claudia J. Stanny 7
Scanning Mental Images
Kosslyn (1978)
Mental Travel
Effects of distance
Effects of complexity
10Claudia J. Stanny
Estimating angles based on clock time (Paivio, 1978)
Create an image of a clock face based on two times• Are the angles formed the same or different?• Must rotate the image of the angle to align and
compareExamples
Claudia J. Stanny 11
Properties of Images
Time to create images
Effects of size of image
Effects of verbal interpretationDemonstration: Are images analog or propositional?
12Claudia J. Stanny
Are images coded differently than other memories ?
Problems with demand characteristics of imagery tasks
Experimenter expectancy effects
Propositional versus Analog Codes as the basis for imagery• Differences between pictures in the world and
images in memory• Role of inferences in images: the case for
propositional codes14Claudia J. Stanny
Cognitive Maps
Are maps mental images (pictures) or are they more abstract representations?
Relevant evidence:• Effects of heuristic processes on mental maps
90⁰ angle heuristic
Alignment heuristic
Rotation heuristic
Claudia J. Stanny 15
Rotation Heuristic
Is San Francisco, California east or west of Reno, Nevada?
Is San Francisco, California north or south of Reno, Nevada?
16Claudia J. Stanny
Influence of verbal processing and other knowledge on cognitive maps
Interpretation of regularization errors
Creation of maps from verbal descriptions
Influence of non-visual and non-spatial knowledge on cognitive maps• Numbers of cities represented on a road• Landmark effects
travel to a landmark seems shorter than travel from the landmark to another location
Claudia J. Stanny 17