Imagery and learning

Abstract

The research was planned to study the relation of non-verbal imagery to learning, with special reference to the use made of visual images in the learning process. The subjects, 9 adults and 7 children, were required to learn series of coloured figures arranged in sets of5 variants of the same shape under a common nonsense name; thus the material required association, discrimination and classification. The learning was tested (a) at the end of each learning period by a test of the figures seen that day: (b) at the end of the series and also five weeks later by general tests. Findings. 1. Words and especially analogies played the greatest part in the recall of the figures.2. The amount recalled by visual imagery was small. The imagery accompanied and confirmed the recall.3. In proportion to the extent of the knowledge recorded the children had more visual imagery than the adults. Some of the imagery was of the eidetic type, and all the images of shape were complete figures.4. The main cause of incorrect recognition of the figures was confusion, either, for those cases in which the characteristics of the set were known, confusion between members of the same set, or, for those cases in which the figures were known individually, confusion between the sets. Conclusion. Where the material to be learnt requires the formation of associations, the discrimination of differences and grouping of likenesses, visual photographic imagery is of less value for recall than verbal description and analogy.