Imagery Test Research Articles

The Relationship between Imagery and Creativity

Sixty-seven university students completed three tests representing three dimensions of creativity in addition to tests of imagery and verbal abilities. Regression analysis showed that imaging ability as measured by the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire accounted for significant amounts of variance in all three creativity tests. It was concluded that individual differences in imaging ability may play a role in creative performance. Problems with current measures of both imagery and creativity are discussed.

Levels of imagery and personality dimensions in a female prison population.

Personality and mental imagery tests were administered to 62 female prisoners. The study replicates the finding concerning relationships between imagery types and two specific personality dimensions, and extends the findings across populations, personality inventories, and investigators. Control of visual imagery is linked negatively to a measure of neurosis (Scale 2 of the MMPI); and (if level of neurosis is controlled) EI is linked to vividness of imagery. That is, an anova interaction showed that, with high neurosis scores, extroverts report more vivid imagery than introverts, but with low neurosis scores, introverts report more vivid imagery than extroverts.

Visual imagery capacity of alcoholic Korsakoff patients

A modified version of the Hebb visual imagery test was given to a group of Korsakoff patients and to a group of alcoholic control patients. The task requires subjects to indicate the spatial characteristics of letters in an imagined seven-letter word. Korsakoffs were neither impaired in the accuracy or speed of “reading off” a visual image. The findings suggest that the failure of Korsakoffs to significantly improve their verbal retention with the aid of visual imagery techniques may be due to a failure at the level of imagery utilization rather than imagery formation.

Reliability of a measure of visual imagery.

The resurgence of interest in visual imagery has generated a number of studies concerned with the reliability of tests purporting to measure the ability to form visual images. Typically results have shown such tests to be internally consistent but not impressively reliable over time. However, only a few studies have investigated the reliability of Marks' ( 1 ) Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, which has been shown to be effective in predicting recall of both verbal ( 3 ) and pictorial material ( 1 ) . Odd/even and test-retest reliabilities of 0.85 and 0.74, respectively ( I ) , of 0.93 and 0.67, respectively ( 2 ) . have been found. This seems to indicate that a transient state is being measured . ,, by imagery tests rather than a more stable trait. Present results challenge this interpretation. Initial testing was carried out on 119 students enrolled in introductory psychology. An unannounced second administration, for which 88 of the original subjects were present, took place 7 wk. later. Mean score on the questionnaire for the first administration was 2.31 ( S D = 0.75) and for the second administration 2.39 ( S D = 0.79). Odd/even reliability, stepped up by the Spearman-Brown formula, was 0.94 for the first administration and 0.96 for the second administration of the test. Test-retest reliability was 0.73. These results seem consistent with previous reliabilities of imagery questionnaires. However, inspection of the scatterplot of test vs retest scores showed that three subjects were greatly out of line with the remaining 85 subjects. Recalculation of the test-retest reliability without these three subjects yielded a coefficient of 0.87. Such results suggest that the ability to form visual images may actually be quite stable for most subjects and ephemeral for only a few. A principal components analysis was also performed for each administration of the test. A single general component accounted for 42% of the variance for the first administration and 52% of the test variance for the second administration of the test. All items loaded .50 or higher at each session with a mean loading of .65 (SD = .08) for the first administration and of .72 ( S D = .06) for the second. Coefficient alpha was 0.91 for the first session and 0.94 for the second. The high values of alpha, as well as the finding that a single general component accounted for approximately 50% of the test variance, suggest that the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire is a reasonably pure measure of the ability to form visual images. These results, along with the finding that the test is highly reliable over time for most subjects, suggest that imagery may be a stable trait and that the questionnaire may be a useful instrument with which to measure individual differences in the ability to form visual images

A Longitudinal Comparison of Four Music Achievement and Music Aptitude Tests

768 sixth-grade students enrolled in eight separate middle schools in the cities of Odessa, Henderson, and Gladewater, Texas, were given the Tonal Imagery and Rhythm Imagery tests from the Musical Aptitude Profile along with the complete Measures of Musical Abilities battery. After a year and a half of instrumental study, Music Achievement Test, Part 2 and Iowa Tests of Music Literacy, Level One were administered to all students remaining in the programs. Results of the study indicated the MAP Tonal Imagery was the most efficacious of the aptitude tests, while the ITML battery possessed the highest validity for measuring music achievement, based on teachers' subjective performance ratings. Interrelationships among certain achievement subtests were rather high, indicating that in some cases two subtests were measuring similar areas of achievement. Using these as a guide, it was possible to select a group of subtests from both the MAT and ITML batteries that were relatively unrelated and at the same time agreed satisfactorily with the teachers' professional judgments of their students.

Reliability of Two Measures of Imagery

Reliabilities were sought for the two most frequently used imagery assessment devices, the Vividness of Imagery Scale of Betts Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery and Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control. Reliability was assessed by means of test-retest and Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha using 147 subjects. Betts scale test-retest reliabilities ranged from .72 to .75, and alphas ranged from .90 to .94. Gordon scale test-retest reliabilities ranged from .81 to .86 and alphas from .53 to .74. Testing implications are discussed.

Rated Imagery and Pictures in Paired-Associate Learning

The present study investigated the effect of two tests of imagery, the Betts QMI Vividness of Mental Imagery Test vs the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, in a paired-associate learning task involving imposed imagery versus uncontrolled imagery. 57 Ss were equally divided into Picture, Competing-picture, Words-alone groups and were asked to rate themselves as to method of learning. Later Ss were given the imagery tests. No relation was found between the Betts QMI and PA learning. The Gordon Test related to PA learning only in the picture-imposed imagery condition. Comparisons between Ss who rated themselves pictorializers vs verbalizers were related to PA learning only in the picture-imposed imagery condition.

A factor analysis of imagery tests

This study attempted to place factor analyses of tests of verbal ability and imagery within the current orientation of research on imagery and on aptitude by treatment interactions. Two factor analytic studies were conducted with separate but overlapping test batteries. The factors extracted in the first study were labeled Verbal, Imagery, Automatization, and Anxiety. The factors extracted in the second study were Verbal, Imagery, and Social Desirability. In both studies, Verbal and Imagery abilities were identified as orthogonal factors. In the second study Imagery, as measured by introspective reports, was found to be saturated on the Social Desirability factor, thus indicating that introspective reports and objective tests of imagery cannot be used to substitute for one another.

Functions of Visual Imagery in the Learning and Concept Formation of Children

HOLLENBERG, CLEMENTINA KUHLMAN. Functions of Visual Imagery in the Learning and Concept Formation of Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1970, 41, 1003-1015. 64 elementary school children scoring in the upper and lower quartiles of their grades on tests of visual imagery were tested individually in an experimental situation simulating the learning of verbal labels. The high-imagery children were significantly superior to the low-imagery children (matched for sex, age, and IQ) in the initial learning of the names of objects; but the low-imagery children were significantly superior to the high-imagery children in grasping the concepts underlying a series of objects with the identical name. The low-imagery group also had a superior recall of objects with a given name, apparently as a function of their superior concept formation. Increasing age obliterated the discrepancy between the two imagery groups in concept formation but not in name learning.

FUNCTIONS OF VISUAL IMAGERY IN THE LEARNING AND CONCEPT FORMATION OF CHILDREN

HOLLENBERG, CLEMENTINA KUHLMAN. Functions of Visual Imagery in the Learning and Concept Formation of Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1970, 41, 1003-1015. 64 elementary school children scoring in the upper and lower quartiles of their grades on tests of visual imagery were tested individually in an experimental situation simulating the learning of verbal labels. The high-imagery children were significantly superior to the low-imagery children (matched for sex, age, and IQ) in the initial learning of the names of objects; but the low-imagery children were significantly superior to the high-imagery children in grasping the concepts underlying a series of objects with the identical name. The low-imagery group also had a superior recall of objects with a given name, apparently as a function of their superior concept formation. Increasing age obliterated the discrepancy between the two imagery groups in concept formation but not in name learning.

Reliability of a short test of imagery.

Reliability of a short test of imagery.

Imagery Differences among Women of Varying Levels of Experience, Interests, and Abilities in Motor Skills

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in mental imagery exist among groups of university women varying in experience, interests, and abilities in motor skills. Subjects for this study were 77 women, all of whom were associated with the Pennsylvania State University. Included were 14 physical education faculty members, 18 senior physical education majors, 19 freshman physical education majors, and 26 freshman nonmajors. Mental imagery was measured with three imagery tests developed specifically for this study. Test data were analyzed and treated statistically using analysis of variance and Duncan's new multiple-range test. The four groups did not differ significantly in their ability to recognize previously presented geometric forms or previously presented motor acts. The three major groups were significantly superior in remembering details of motor demonstrations when compared to the least experienced.

Note on Precognition with and without Knowledge of Results

To test precognition (a variant of the typical ESP experiment) Ss guess at targets which have not yet been selected. The present study investigated whether precognition will occur if S is guessing at a target which ( a ) he will later know; ( b ) someone else, but not he, will lacer know; ( c ) no one will ever know. 50 psychology students who scorecl h ~ g h on a test of visual imagery guessed at 3 lists, A, B, and C, corresponding to the chrce conditions stated above. Lists were composed of 50 items each; chance probabi l~r~ of guessing any one item correctly was I / ) . Guesses were coded for an LGB-30 computer. The computer was programmed to generate a random number from 1 to 5 (designating the target); enter the code number representing S's guess; tabulate identities (hits) ; sum hits; print out targets, guesses, and sum of hits for Lists A and B; but print for List C only guesses and sum of hits. 5s saw List A; E (but not S ) saw List B; no one saw List C. Ss were informed of the different procedures for Lists A, B, and C after all had been tested. The order of A, B, and C was rotated. In an interview, 44 Ss (sheep) accepted the possibility that guesses of the type they made might show an extra-chance relation to the targets; 6 Ss (goats) rejected this possibility. It was hypothesized that scores of goats would be lower than scores of sheep.

An experiment in map scoring and mental imagery tests.

An experiment in map scoring and mental imagery tests.

An Experiment in Guidance

OR some years past the music department of the Medina County (Ohio) Schools has administered musical talent tests to pupils in the fifth and sixth grades in an effort to discover what pupils should take advantage of the opportunities for music study offered in the school instrumental classes. During the last school year careful record was kept of enrollment both before and after the tests were given, so that an accurate report might be made regarding the effectiveness of such tests in stimulating interest in instrumental study and in bringing about increased enrollment in the classes. Enrollment for instrumental classes is taken during the first week of school. At that time the children who have already decided to study an instrument sign up for the classes. Last year the names of these students were kept separate from later registrants so that it would be possible to tell which pupils came into the classes entirely as a result of the tests. During the second week of school, four of the Kwalwasser-Dykema music tests were given in all the fifth and sixth grade rooms of the county, these being the grades from which most of the beginning instrumental pupils are recruited. The four tests given were the pitch discrimination, the tonal memory, the rhythmic imagery and the tonal imagery. The question may arise as to why only these four were used instead of the entire battery of tests. The reason was largely one of administrative necessity; to give and grade all of the tests would have required more time than was available. It seemed that the pitch discrimination and tonal memory tests would give a fairly good indication of the natural underlying musical sensitivity of the children, and that the rhythmic and tonal imagery tests would give some indication of how well the children had responded to the usual musical instruction in their regular classrooms. The assumption was that a child who is naturally musical will acquire more knowledge of music notation in the regular school classes than one who possesses more meagre musical talent. All of the papers were graded and the pupils were given percentile rankings according to the plan outlined in the manual of instructions accompanying the tests. If a child received a percentile ranking of fifty or above in any one of the tests it was assumed that he had average or more than average ability in the musical capacity measured by that particular test. Since four tests were given, it was assumed that a child who ranked above fifty in any three of them probably possessed more than the average amount of musical talent and would therefore make a good candidate for class instrumental instruction. To the parents of these children who ranked above the fiftieth percentile in three or more of the tests, the following letter was sent, by mail so that it might receive more careful consideration and attention.