| Abstract: | How information is represented in visual images was explored in five experiments where subjects judged whether or not various properties were appropriate for given animals. It took more time to evaluate an animal when the subjective image of it was small, whether size was manipulated directly or indirectly (e.g., by having a target animal imaged at the correct relative size next to an elephant or a fly). More time also was required if the animal was imaged in a relatively “complex” environment (next to 4 vs. 2 digits painted on an imaginary wall, or next to a 16 cell vs. 4 cell matrix). Finally, subjectively larger images required more time to evoke than smaller images. These results support a constructivist notion of imagery, and the idea that images may act as ‘analogues’ to percepts. |
