MENTAL IMAGERY TEST

Mental imagery is a quasi-perceptual experience which resembles perceptual experience, but occurring without (appropriate) external stimuli. It is a form of mental representation and is often considered centrally involved in visuo-spatial reasoning and inventive and creative thought. Although imagery ability is assumed to be functionally independent of verbal systems, it is still considered to interact with verbal representations, enabling objects to be named and names to evoke images. In literature, most measurement tools for evaluating imagery capacity are self-report instruments focusing on differences in individuals. In the present work, we applied a Mental Imagery Scale (MIS) to mental images derived from verbal descriptions in order to assess the structural features of such mental representations. This is a key theme for those disciplines which need to turn objects and representations into words and vice versa, such as art or architectural didactics. To this aim, an MIS questionnaire was administered to 262 participants. The questionnaire, originally consisting of a 33-item 5-step Likert scale, was reduced to 28 items covering six areas: (1) Image Formation Speed, (2) Permanence/Stability, (3) Dimensions, (4) Level of Detail/Grain, (5) Distance and (6) Depth of Field or Perspective. Factor analysis confirmed our six-factor hypothesis underlying the 28 items.

Brain and Cognition, 1988

https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.8_Issue.2_Feb2018/IJHSR_Abstract.015.html, 2018

Background: Mental imagery is an important adjunct to geriatric rehabilitation. It is beneficial especially when physical practice has limitation. As there is a decline in the cognitive abilities with ageing, ability to use mental imagery may also differ in older adults, especially community dwelling and staying in institutions. Aim: The present study aimed at comparing the ability to use mental imagery between community dwelling and institutionalized older adults. Methodology: After giving informed consent, 100 mobile senior citizens(above 65 years) from both institutional setting and community from Mumbai participated in the cross sectional study. A shortened form of Bett's questionnaire upon mental imagery was administered. Statistical analysis: Comparison of the total scores as well as scores of seven subscales of the shortened form of Bett's questionnaire was done between community and institutionalized geriatrics. Time required to complete the questionnaire was also compared between the groups. Results: The mean of total score as well as time taken was significantly less in community dwelling than in institutionalized older adults as per the unpaired t test. (p<0.0001) Statistically significant difference was observed in all the domains of mental imagery in both the groups using ANOVA (p<0.001). Within group comparison using ANOVA showed no statistical difference in institutionalized older adults (p =0.064); but in community dwelling older adults, imagery in emotion was significantly difficult than the other domains (p=0.001). Conclusions: Mental imagery ability in all the sensory domains was found to be less in institutionalized compared to community dwelling older adults.

2009

Mental imagery is a quasi-perceptual experience, resembling perceptual experience, but occurring without appropriate external stimuli. In literature, most measurement tools for evaluating imagery capacity are self-report instruments focusing on differences in individuals. In the present work, we applied a Mental Imagery Scale (MIS) to mental images derived from verbal descriptions in order to assess the structural features of such mental representations. This is a key-theme in art didactics, given the constant need in this discipline to turn objects and representations into words. To this aim, an MIS questionnaire was administered to 262 participants. The questionnaire, originally consisting of a 33-item 5-step Likert scale, was reduced to 28 items covering 6 areas: 1) Image Formation Speed; 2) Permanence/Stability; 3) Dimensions; 4) Level of Detail/Grain; 5) Distance; 6) Depth of Field or Perspective. Factor analysis confirmed our 6-factor hypothesis underlying the 28 items.

Psychology and Aging, 1994

Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2012

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 1994

International Journal of Testing, 2003

2000

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2008