29 Vividness of Mental Imagery

Author

Connair J. S. Russell

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Cluster: Cognitive Biases

29.1 Measure

The measure of vividness of mental imagery we use is the Vividness of Mental Imagery scale Marks (1973).

Modifications

29.2 Implementation

For this questionnaire each subscale appeared on its own page with the subscale specific text above

Question wording

Participants read the following text:

Items	Text
vvi_01 - vvi_16	For each scenario try to form a mental picture of the people, objects, or setting. Consider carefully the vividness of your visual imagery experience. Does some type of image come to mind? Rate how vivid the image is using the 5-point scale. If you do not have a visual image, rate vividness as ‘1’. Only use ‘5’ for images that are as lively and vivid as real seeing. Please try to form the mental image of the following items with your eyes *open*
vvi_17 - vvi_32	For each scenario try to form a mental picture of the people, objects, or setting. Consider carefully the vividness of your visual imagery experience. Does some type of image come to mind? Rate how vivid the image is using the 5-point scale. If you do not have a visual image, rate vividness as ‘1’. Only use ‘5’ for images that are as lively and vivid as real seeing. Please try to form the mental image of the following items with your eyes *closed.*

vvi_01 - vvi_16

For each scenario try to form a mental picture of the people, objects, or setting. Consider carefully the vividness of your visual imagery experience. Does some type of image come to mind? Rate how vivid the image is using the 5-point scale. If you do not have a visual image, rate vividness as ‘1’. Only use ‘5’ for images that are as lively and vivid as real seeing.

Please try to form the mental image of the following items with your eyes open

vvi_17 - vvi_32

Please try to form the mental image of the following items with your eyes closed.

additional text was also presented prior to each subscale:

Subscale (items)	Text
Relative or friend (vvi_01 - vvi_04; vvi_17 - vvi_20	For items 1 to 4, think of some relative or friend whom you frequently see (but who is not with you at present) and consider carefully the picture that comes before your mind’s eye.
Natural scene: Rising sun (vvi_05 - vvi_08; vvi_21 - vvi_24)	Visualize a rising sun. Consider carefully the picture that comes before your mind’s eye.
Shop (vvi_09 - vvi_12; vvi_25 - vvi_28)	Think of the front of a shop which you often go to. Consider the picture that comes before your mind’s eye.
Natural scene: Lake (vvi_13 - vvi_16; vvi_29 - vvi_32)	Finally, think of a country scene which involves trees, mountains, and a lake. Consider the picture that comes before your mind’s eye.

Items

Qlabel	Subscale	question
vvi_01	Relative or friend	The exact contour of face, head, shoulders, and body.
vvi_02	Relative or friend	Characteristic poses of head, attitudes of body, etc.
vvi_03	Relative or friend	The precise carriage, length of step, etc. in walking.
vvi_04	Relative or friend	The different colors worn in some familiar clothes.
vvi_05	Natural scene: Rising sun	The sun is rising above the horizon into a hazy sky.
vvi_06	Natural scene: Rising sun	The sky clears and surrounds the sun with blueness.
vvi_07	Natural scene: Rising sun	Clouds. A storm blows up, with flashes of lightening.
vvi_08	Natural scene: Rising sun	A rainbow appears.
vvi_09	Shop	The overall appearance of the shop from the opposite side of the road.
vvi_10	Shop	A window display including colors, shape, and details of individual items for sale.
vvi_11	Shop	You are near the entrance. The color, shape, and details of the door.
vvi_12	Shop	You enter the shop and go to the counter. The counter assistant serves you. Money changes hands.
vvi_13	Natural scene: Lake	The contours of the landscape.
vvi_14	Natural scene: Lake	The color and shape of the trees.
vvi_15	Natural scene: Lake	The color and shape of the lake.
vvi_16	Natural scene: Lake	A strong wind blows on the tree and on the lake causing waves.

Qlabel	Subscale	question
vvi_17	Relative or friend	The exact contour of face, head, shoulders, and body.
vvi_18	Relative or friend	Characteristic poses of head, attitudes of body, etc.
vvi_19	Relative or friend	The precise carriage, length of step, etc. in walking.
vvi_20	Relative or friend	The different colors worn in some familiar clothes.
vvi_21	Natural scene: Rising sun	The sun is rising above the horizon into a hazy sky.
vvi_22	Natural scene: Rising sun	The sky clears and surrounds the sun with blueness.
vvi_23	Natural scene: Rising sun	Clouds. A storm blows up, with flashes of lightening.
vvi_24	Natural scene: Rising sun	A rainbow appears.
vvi_25	Shop	The overall appearance of the shop from the opposite side of the road.
vvi_26	Shop	A window display including colors, shape, and details of individual items for sale.
vvi_27	Shop	You are near the entrance. The color, shape, and details of the door.
vvi_28	Shop	You enter the shop and go to the counter. The counter assistant serves you. Money changes hands.
vvi_29	Natural scene: Lake	The contours of the landscape.
vvi_30	Natural scene: Lake	The color and shape of the trees.
vvi_31	Natural scene: Lake	The color and shape of the lake.
vvi_32	Natural scene: Lake	A strong wind blows on the tree and on the lake causing waves.

Coding

This questionnaire follows a unique scoring scheme for vividness

1	2	3	4	5
Perfectly clear and as vivid as normal vision	Clear and reasonably vivid	Moderately clear and vivid	Vague and dim	No image at all, you only “know” that you are thinking of an object

No items are reverse coded

Scoring

The following variables are derived from this measure:

Variable Name	Variable Label	Description	Variable Type	Source (Section)	Definition
Vividness of Mental Imagery	vividness_imagery	Vividness of mental imagery score	numeric	Vividness of Mental Imagery	mean vvi_01: vvi_32