A Study On Eye Movements In The Differences And Plasticity Of Visual Imagery Construction

Mental imagery is the image coming out to the object which once realized and retained in people’brains. Visual imagery is one type of image through the visual channel representation. Visual imagery construction has become an important research area of cognitive psychology. With the prompt development of a range of sophisticated research tools such as brain imaging and eyetrack system, many psychologists maintained much attention to the essence, the functional status and the role of visual imagery. Some researchers found a close relationship between eye movements and imagery when they were studying visual construction. One concentrates point mainly is the research that eye movements play a functional role in visual imagery construction. Visual imagery construction is a top-down cognitive processing, so, eye movements during imagery not only in addition to the impact of eye movements during perception but also the impact of individual differences. The quality of the individual visual imagery has a great individual differences as well as the features of eye movements. Based on this individual differences, we tried to change visual imagery construction through guiding eye movements. We wanted to promote the quality of imagery and eye movements and even the ability of visual imagery construction.Our research was composed of two experiments in the three-phase experimental tasks of "perception-interference-imagery". Eye movement characteristics in the process of visual imagery construction were recorded by eyetrack system. And the results(including imagery clear rating and the correct number of imagery) of the quality of visual imagery by the way of oral report were also recorded. We analysised the data of a series of eye movement indicators and behavioral indicators. We want to investagte the individual differences on visual imagery and eye movements and the plasticity of visual imagery and eye movements.The experimental results of data analysis and discussions supported the following conclusions:(1)There definitely exits eye movements during the process of visual imagery consteuction, and eye movements during imagery were correlated to eye movement during perception.(2)There was markedly individual difference in eye movement. The different individuals of clarity of visual imagery have different results of imagery and eye movements. The higher rate of visual imagery clarity, the better quality of the visual imagery construction.(3)There exists plasticity of visual imagery construction.The way of guiding eye movements can affect the results of visual imagery.(4)Imagery with the characteristic of quis-picture is an analogical representation mode. Imagery and the external object of perception do not have the one to one corresponding relation.