Object-spatial imagery: a new self-report imagery questionnaire

Abstract

SUMMARYA new instrument, the Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ), was designed to assess individual differences in visual imagery preferences and experiences. The OSIQ consists of two scales: an object imagery scale that assesses preferences for representing and processing colourful, pictorial, and high-resolution images of individual objects and a spatial imagery scale that assesses preferences for representing and processing schematic images, spatial relations amongst objects, and spatial transformations. Across a series of studies, the object imagery scale was significantly correlated with the performance on object imagery tasks; the spatial imagery scale was significantly correlated with the performance on spatial imagery tasks; but neither correlated with measures of intelligence. Additionally, compared to visual artists and humanities professionals, scientists reported higher spatial imagery ratings; however, compared to scientists and humanities professionals, visual artists reported higher object imagery ratings. Thus, the results from the studies supported the predictive, discriminant, and ecological validity of the OSIQ.

Do sequence-space synaesthetes have better spatial imagery skills? Yes, but there are individual differences

“…The recruitment differences described here could certainly explain why Rizza and Price (2012) Blajenkova et al 2006 report that the OSIQspatial --but not OSIQ-visual --does positively correlate with mental rotation, other evidence suggests that subjects can still score highly on mental rotation from high visual imagery. Logie et al (2011) andWeatherly (1997) reported that high visual imagers (e.g., tested with the VVIQ; Marks, 1973) performed particularly well in mental rotation.…”

Imagined own-body transformations during passive self-motion

“…Lenggenhager et al, 2008) and a questionnaire to assess their overall spatial and object imagery abilities (object spatial imagery questionnaire (OSIQ); cf. Blajenkova, Kozhevnikov, & Motes, 2006). The OSIQ measures participant's tendency and experience to use object and spatial visual imagery, ranging from 1 (=very low imagery ability) to 5 (=very high imagery ability).…”

A placebo-controlled investigation of synaesthesia-like experiences under LSD

“…Participants also completed the Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ; Blajenkova et al, 2006), a 30-item scale with a 5-point response format ("totally disagree" to "totally agree"). The OSIQ includes two 15-item subscales measuring object ("My images are very colourful and bright.")…”

“…Toward this end, as part of a larger placebo-controlled validation study of the feasibility of studying LSD in a neuroimaging environment (Carhart-Harris et al, 2015), participants rated the vividness of colour experiences and selected specific colours in response to a set of graphemes and sounds in LSD and placebo conditions. Participants also independently completed measures of absorption and visual imagery (Blajenkova, Kozhevnikov, & Motes, 2006;Jamieson, 2005;Ott, 2007;Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974), which may be related to the experience of drug-induced synaesthesia-like experiences (Studerus, Gamma, Kometer, & Vollenweider, 2012). We expected that LSD would produce synaesthesia-like experiences, particularly for sound stimuli, to a greater degree than placebo.…”