The evaluation of two reported methods of increasing vividness of visual imagery : an exploratory study

Abstract

This study was concerned with evaluating and comparing the effects of two techniques which a variety of sources suggest may increase the vividness of one's visual imagery; relaxation and visualization practice. Validated techniques of this kind are needed, since scientific evidence indicates that clients with weak imagery, are less likely to benefit from imagery-based psychotherapies such as systematic desensitization, than are clients with vivid imagery. Four experimental groups were used. Subjects in the visualization practice group utilized a method based on the suggestions of Conway (1974). Their practice was with a series of increasingly complex visual stimuli, and attainment of a criterion degree of vividness for a given stimulus led to practice with the following stimulus. Subjects were encouraged to repeatedly compare their images with the stimuli. Subjects in the relaxation group were taught a Raja yoga relaxation technique. This involved deep breathing and holding of the breath, while lying in an inherently comfortable supine position. A pseudo-treatment imagery discussion group was used to control for non-specific treatment effects such as expectation of change, attention and stimulation of interest in imagery. A no-treatment group was also included. Each group contained nine subjects and the number of males per group varied from two to five. Subjects were either psychiatric nursing students or physiotherapy students. Selection was on the basis of scores on the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), which was administered when students were together in their classes. Subjects were randomly allocated to groups in a manner which both ensured that mean VVIQ scores were similar, and that each group contained subjects with low, medium and high scores. The revised Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control (GVIC) was administered together with VVIQ, as control of imagery may also be a relevant variable in imagery-based psychotherapies. Since scores on the GVIC are highly correlated with scores on the VVIQ, it was considered that increases in the former might accompany increases in the latter. Both questionnaires were administered again following the experiment, together with a post-experimental questionnaire. When pre-experimental differences in questionnaire scores between groups were controlled, there were no significant post-experimental differences for either imagery variable. However there was a slight tendency for subjects in the relaxation group to report more vivid imagery at the pre-experimental measurement. There was also a tendence for subjects in all groups to report greater imagery control. Practical and theoretical explanations for these results were discussed, methodological changes for future experiments were detailed, and major research directions were indicated. It was concluded that although the experimental hypotheses were not supported by the results, that much valuable information had been obtained.