1) Backgrounds: I.20th century discussions:  Verbal mediation theory: language determines or mediates thought  Perceptual dominance theory : imagistic structures are dominant  Common code or Propositional models: Information, perceptual or linguistic, represented in an abstract, amodal code  Dual Coding (Paivio): Nonverbal and verbal information encoded in symbolic form in separate systems specialized for such representation, and connected by a complex system of referential relations II.The Nature of mental imagery: ”Analog- Propositional” debate (N.Thomas) 1)Analog – picture –like imagery: Spatial properties of imagery :  Roger Shepard: ”Mental Rotation”of images  Stephen Kosslyn: ”Mental Scanning”of visual images Evidence of the spatial properties of mental imagery shown in the studies by these two scientists 2) Propositional – descriptive imagery (Pylyshyn) Descriptions of objects in mentalese (language of thought) The theory of the Mind’s eye and pictorial nature of mental image abandoned in the 20th century Jonna Kokko

”Imagination.. makes it possible to think outside the confines of the present perceptual reality.” –N.J.T. Thomas 2) Mental imagery and language in human cognition  Thinking: based on language or mental imagery or something else?  The role of mental imagery in: Memory – mnemonics imagination prediction problem solving etc. 3) Reading and mental imagery : Consider reading verbal instructions, descriptions, prose etc. without the ability to generate mental imagery.. I.Reading comprehension: ”Imagery strategies” to enhance reading comprehension. Do not necessarily work always. High-imagery sentences easier to grasp than low-imagery? The importance of the background knowledge II.Vividness of Visual Imagery: Individual differences Consequences on leisure time reading? Consequences on comprehension? Most often reported lack of mental imagery among scientists and academicians. Why? More advanced ability to process low- imagery, abstract information?

III.Neurological basis of mental imagery in reading (M.A. Just et al. 2003) Distinction between processing high-imagery versus low-imagery sentences Low-imagery sentences: More semantic-related processing in the Left Temporal Area High-imagery sentences: More visuo-spatial processing in the Left Intraparietal Sulcus  Partly different areas in the brain activated.  There is a distinction in congnitive processing of abstract and concrete information Listening comprehension a better modality to receive imagery-laden information Reading comprehension modality better to receive abstract information. More natural and effortless to generate visual mental images when listening to narratives The reason the overlap of the activation of some parts of the brain used for both interpretation of perception and mental imagery 4) Some questions and ideas: I.Synesthesia – a non-linguistic form of thinking? More common among indigenous peoples without written language The modern culture highly reliant on written language logical abstract thinking People lose the ability for synesthesia through learning more linguistic-based thinking dormant in all people II.How do people react to contradiction between visual and written message? Does the visual message ”win” usually?