Individual differences in object versus spatial imagery: from neural correlates to real-world applications

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

Object imagery and object identification: Object imagers are better at identifying spatially-filtered visual objects

Object imagery refers to the ability to construct pictorial images of objects. Individuals with high object imagery (high-OI) produce more vivid mental images than individuals with low object imagery (low-OI), and they encode and process both mental images and visual stimuli in a more global and holistic way. In the present study, we investigated whether and how level of object imagery may affect the way in which individuals identify visual objects. High-OI and low-OI participants were asked to perform a visual identification task with spatially-filtered pictures of real objects. Each picture was presented at nine levels of filtering, starting from the most blurred (level 1: only low spatial frequencies-global configuration) and gradually adding high spatial frequencies up to the complete version (level 9: global configuration plus local and internal details). Our data showed that high-OI participants identified stimuli at a lower level of filtering than participants with low-OI, indicating that they were better able than low-OI participants to identify visual objects at lower spatial frequencies. Implications of the results and future developments are discussed

Controlling the near-surface superfluid density in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x by photo-illumination

The interaction with light weakens the superconducting ground state in classical superconductors. The situation in cuprate superconductors is more complicated: illumination increases the charge carrier density, a photo-induced effect that persists below room temperature. Furthermore, systematic investigations in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) have shown an enhanced critical temperature Tc. Until now, studies of photo-persistent conductivity (PPC) have been limited to investigations of structural and transport properties, as well as the onset of superconductivity. Here we show how changes in the magnetic screening profile of YBCO in the Meissner state due to PPC can be determined on a nanometer scale utilizing low-energy muons. The data obtained reveal a strongly increased superfluid density within the first few tens of nanometers from the sample surface. Our findings suggest a non-trivial modification of the near-surface band structure and give direct evidence that the superfluid density of YBCO can be controlled by light illumination