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Individual Differences in Object Versus Spatial Imagery: From Neural Correlates to Real-World Applications

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Multisensory Imagery

Abstract

This chapter focuses on individual differences in object and spatial–visual imagery both from theoretical and applied perspectives. While object imagery refers to representations of the literal appearances of individual objects and scenes in terms of their shape, color, and texture, spatial imagery refers to representations of the spatial relations among objects, locations of objects in space, movements of objects and their parts, and other complex spatial transformations. First, we review cognitive neuroscience and psychology research regarding the dissociation between object and spatial–visual imagery. Next, we discuss evidence on how this dissociation extends to individual differences in object and spatial imagery, followed by a discussion showing that individual differences in object and spatial imagery follow different developmental courses. After that we focus on cognitive and educational research that provides ecological validation of the object–spatial distinction in individual differences—in particular, on the relationship of object and spatial–visual abilities to mathematics and science problem solving and then to object–spatial imagery differences between members of different professions. Finally, we discuss applications of the object–spatial dissociation in imagery for applied fields, such as personnel selection, training, and education.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Object and spatial imagery abilities might be independent but also might tap the same underlying visual imagery ability. In the latter case, this underlying ability would not rely exclusively on object or spatial pathways but would also depend on other brain areas involved in visual processing (e.g., prefrontal cortex, early visual areas).

  2. 2.

    Humanities and social science students and professionals were included in Blajenkova et al. (2006) and Blazhenkova and Kozhevnikov (2010) to serve as a control professional group, since the humanities and social sciences lend themselves to visual forms of information processing less readily than do natural sciences. In addition, the imagery used by humanities/science professionals is more along the lines of logical representations of concepts and relationships among concepts rather than representing the arrangement of physical objects or graphs and data models (e.g., Wai et al. 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 Thirteenth Street, Suite 2301, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA

    Maria Kozhevnikov Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Maria Kozhevnikov Ph.D. & Olesya Blazhenkova Ph.D.

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  1. Maria Kozhevnikov Ph.D.
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  2. Olesya Blazhenkova Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Maria Kozhevnikov Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, WOODRUFF CIRCLE WMB 6207 101, ATLANTA, 30329, Georgia, USA

    Simon Lacey

  2. , School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, Montserrat

    Rebecca Lawson

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Kozhevnikov, M., Blazhenkova, O. (2013). Individual Differences in Object Versus Spatial Imagery: From Neural Correlates to Real-World Applications. In: Lacey, S., Lawson, R. (eds) Multisensory Imagery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5879-1_16

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