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An Information-Processing Theory of Mental Imagery: A Case Study in the New Mentalistic Psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2022

George E. Smith  and
Stephen M. Kosslyn
George E. Smith
Affiliation:
Tufts University
Stephen M. Kosslyn
Affiliation:
Harvard University
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Extract

Mental imagery has been on the defensive for the last fifty years. Philosophers have argued that talk of mental images invites systematic confusion, that such talk is at best metaphorical, and that it consequently creates only an unfortunate illusion of explanation when it is taken literally. Such a prioristic objections ought to carry less weight in the case of experimental studies of imagery since empirical findings are likely to supply nonmetaphorical content where it is needed. Nevertheless, the same sorts of criticism have been put forward against experimental efforts. Added to this is a suspicion that mental imagery is not compatible with a strictly computational account of mental processes and hence it is out of step with the most promising research occurring in cognitive psychology. So, even in the case of experimental studies, there is a presumptive burden of argument on those who take mental imagery seriously.

Type
Part IV. Imagery and Representation in Psychology
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1980 , Issue 2: Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers 1980 , 1980 , pp. 247 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © 1981 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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