The Effect of Abstract and Concrete Contexts on the Imageability and Recallability of Words

Abstract

Word imageability, the degree to which different words arouse imagery, is a powerful variable affecting mental imagery and memory. This study examined whether word imageability varies depending on the context within which words are presented. We randomly sampled abstract (low imageability) words and also concrete (high imageability) words from available norms. Introductory psychology students rated the words for imageability in different contexts. In the mixed content, students rated the abstract and concrete words mixed within the same set of words, similarly to the way words were rated in the norms. Concrete words were rated as more imageable than abstract words, replicating results from the norms. In the unmixed contents, students rated only abstract words or only concrete words. Surprisingly, concrete and abstract words no longer differed in rated imageability. We concluded that word imageability is not due to the mental imagery aroused by a particular word. Rather, a word's imageability is profoundly influenced by the imageability of surrounding words. This outcome opposes the typical interpretation that word imageability measures the abstractness-concreteness of the referenced object and also how recallable the word will be.