Afterimage Experiment

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Your current progress:

Enter Your Username *

Is this your first run through the study, or have you tried it before? *

I have tried it before.

This is my first time.

What is you age? *

What is your gender? *

Female

Male

Is English either your mother tongue or the language you use most? *

Yes

Visual imagery

This experiment studies how people differ in their experience of "visual imagery" in their mind's eye. By "visual images", we mean your ability to picture in your head what things look like, just from memory. An example is your ability to picture what somebody looks like.

Your task - Important!

We are going to ask you to compare your visual imagery to another kind of visual sensation called an afterimage. Afterimages occur when we stare at a bright display for a while, without moving our eyes, and then look away or close our eyes. Usually we then feel as if we have a kind of negative image of the thing we were staring at, etched onto the "back of our eyes".

Lights out - Don't be disturbed for 10 minutes

The whole procedure will take about 10 minutes. Please ensure that you will not be disturbed during that time, and that light conditions in the room won't change. Try to sit at the same distance from your computer screen throughout the experiment, ideally about an arms length. Avoid sitting somewhere very bright. Turn off the lights.

(Following these recommendations will maximse how effective the demonstrations are.)

Before we start, a few questions about YOUR everyday experience of visual images in your mind's eye. It will only take a couple of minutes!

Read each description below and indicate the degree to which each is appropriate for YOU. Do not spend a lot of time thinking about each description, but respond based on your thoughts about how you do or do not perform each activity. There are 5 response options for each description. If a description is always completely appropriate for you, please chose "5"; if it is never appropriate, chose "1"; if it is appropriate about half of the time, chose "3"; and use the other numbers accordingly. To make your choice, click somewhere on the scales to activate a slider that you can drag to your chosen position.

A) When going to a new place, I prefer directions that include detailed descriptions of landmarks (such as the size, shape and color of a gas station) in addition to their names. *

B) If I catch a glance of a car that is partially hidden behind bushes, I automatically "complete it," seeing the entire car in my mind's eye. *

C) If I am looking for new furniture in a store, I always visualize what the furniture would look like in particular places in my home. *

D) I prefer to read novels that lead me easily to visualize where the characters are and what they are doing instead of novels that are difficult to visualize. *

E) When I think about visiting a relative, I almost always have a clear mental picture of him or her. *

F) When relatively easy technical material is described clearly in a text, I find illustrations distracting because they interfere with my ability to visualize the material. *

G) If someone were to tell me two-digit numbers to add (e.g., 24 and 31), I would visualize them in order to add them. *

H) Before I get dressed to go out, I first visualize what I will look like if I wear different combinations of clothes. *

I) When I think about a series of errands I must do, I visualize the stores I will visit. *

J) When I first hear a friend's voice, a visual image of him or her almost always springs to mind. *

K) When I hear a radio announcer or DJ I've never actually seen, I usually find myself picturing what they might look like. *

L) If I saw a car accident, I would visualize what had happened when later trying to recall the details. *

Thank you!

Thanks for answering those questions. We will calculate an average score over all the questions to obtain an estimate of the extent to which you experience visual imagery in your everyday life.

A few questions about...

This questionnaire measures the clarity and vividness of your ability of mental imagery. You will be asked to generate an image of specific items in your mind, and to rate how clear and vivid you "see" these items in your mind.

For example: Think of a red traffic light. Use the following scale to described how clear and vivid you "see" the red traffic light.

Please do the same for each of the following items. Choose from the above-mentioned descriptions that best fits the imagined item, in order to indicate how clear and vivid your mental imagery of that item is.

There are no correct or false answers and there is no time limit. Do not linger too long with a specific item; a first impression is often the right one. Please do not skip any items.

Visualize a mental image of a friend you see on a regular basis.
How clear and vivid do you see:

1. The characteristic lines of the face, head, shoulders and upper body? *

Soundcheck

For the main experiment, you need to be able to hear a BEEP sound. To check your volume is on an is loud enough, press the play button below. You can do this as many times as you want. Adjust your computer volume setting so you can hear the beep.

Is your computer now set so that you able to hear the beep? *

Yes

Now practice seeing afterimages

Continue for a set of instructions.

1. Focus on the cross - Important!

We will show you a large white letter F displayed on your screen for 30 seconds against a black background. It is important you focus your eyes on the little black cross in the middle of this letter, without letting them wander to other parts of the screen. This is quite difficult and needs concentration. If you feel your eyes wandering, then try to quickly bring them back to focus again on the same spot.

2. Watch the afterimage forming

After 30 seconds you'll hear a beep and the letter will disappear. A white background will appear. After a few moments, you will probably begin to "see" a dark F on this background. Just experience this afterimage until you hear a second beep. Blinking your eyes can help the afterimage to form, and can sometimes help it to come back again if it has faded away.

Focus on the cross

Next, we will show you a quick preview of what the presented letter will look like, with the little black cross to focus your eyes on.

In summary:

1) Watch the F until you hear a BEEP

- When watching, focus your eyes on the cross in the middle of the letter and try not to move them.
- Keep your head at the same distance from the screen throughout the 30 seconds.

2) Watch the little cross on a white background

- After the beep, focus your eyes on the liitle black cross on a white backgroun and watch how the afterimage develops then fades away.
- Try blinking sometimes to regenerate the afterimage.

OK, here we go

When you are sitting comfortably, press the NEXT tab to begin watching the letter F.

Did you experience an afterimage of the letter F? *

Yes

Not sure

Experience an afterimage with eyes CLOSED

Now try this again, but instead of watching the afterimage on a white screen, try to watch it on the "back of your eyelids" while your eyes are closed. Most people find the afterimage is much briefer and also less vivid with eyes closed.

1. Focus on the cross - Important!

We will again show you a large white letter F displayed on your screen for 30 seconds against a black background. It is important you focus your eyes on the little black cross in the middle of this letter, without letting them wander to other parts of the screen. This is quite difficult and needs concentration. If you feel your eyes wandering, then try to quickly bring them back to focus again on the same spot.

2. Close your eyes after the beep

After 30 seconds you'll hear a beep and the letter will disappear. Immediately close your eyes. After a few seconds (be patient!), you will probably begin to "see" a dark F. Just experience this afterimage with your eyes closed until you hear a second beep. Blinking your eyes without opening them can help the afterimage to form, and can sometimes help it to come back again if it has faded away. Another way to bring back the afterimage is to briefly hold your hand over your closed eyes, to make a dark shadow, and remove it again.

3. Open your eyes on the second beep

In summary:

1) Watch the F until you hear a BEEP

- When watching, focus your eyes on the cross in the middle of the letter and try not to move them.
- Keep your head at the same distance from the screen throughout the 30 seconds.

2) Close your eyes after the BEEP

- After the beep, close your eyes, and watch how the afterimage develops then fades away.
- Try blinking or sometimes holding your hand briefly over eyes to regenerate the afterimage.

3) Open your eyes when you hear the second BEEP

- The second beep will sound about 30 seconds after the first one.

OK, here we go

When you are sitting comfortably, press the NEXT tab to begin watching the letter F.

Did you experience an afterimage of the letter F? *

Yes

Not sure

Now Two Letters At Once

Next we'd like you to try and form an afterimage of 2 letters at once, again with eyes closed. You'll see two capital A letters, with a little cross between them, again for 30 seconds. As before, try to focus your gaze on the cross the whole time. When you hear a beep, close your eyes and experience your afterimage. When you hear a second beep, open them again.

In summary:

1) Watch the two A letters until you hear a BEEP.

- When watching, focus your eyes on the cross between the two letters and try not to move them.
- Keep your head at the same distance from the screen throughout the 30 seconds.

2) Close your eyes after the BEEP

- Watch how the afterimage develops then fades away.
- Try sometimes blinking or briefly holding hand over eyes to regenerate the afterimage.

3) Open your eyes when you hear the second BEEP

- The second beep will sound about 30 seconds after the first one.

OK, here we go

When you are sitting comfortably, press the NEXT tab to begin watching the two A letters.

Did you experience an afterimage of BOTH the A letters? *

1. Yes

2. Not sure

3. No

Imagine an afterimage - 'CAT'

You will now see the word 'CAT' displayed briefly, again with white letters on a black background. However this time the display will be too brief to give rise to an afterimage. As soon as the word 'CAT' disappears, close your eyes and try to imagine that same display in your mind's eye as clearly and vividly as you can.

Keep trying until the BEEP

You'll have about 30 seconds to practice this. Try the best you can, and open your eyes again after the beep.

In summary:

1) Watch the brief display showing the word 'CAT'.

2) Close your eyes and try to imagine this same word in your mind's eye.

3) Open your eyes again when you hear the BEEP.

OK, here we go

When you are ready, press the NEXT tab to begin.

Did you manage to imagine the word 'CAT' in your mind's eye? *

1. Yes

2. Not sure

3. No

What you see - 'C _ T'

Now you will see just the letters 'C' and 'T' displayed side by side for 30 seconds. There will be a white cross between the letters. As before, focus your eyes steadily on this cross, trying not to move your gaze. Close your eyes when you hear a beep, and observe the afterimages of the two letters.

Imagine the missing 'A' in the middle - to make 'CAT'

At the SAME TIME as you experience the afterimages of 'C' and 'T', try to deliberately build a visual image of the letter 'A' positioned in the blank space between these afterimages, so that it completes the word 'CAT'. In other words, the whole 'picture' in your mind should be made up of the afterimage of 'C', the afterimage of 'T', and the image of 'A' that you generated yourself. OK this sounds a bit weird, but give it a go! A second beep will tell you when to stop trying to do this and open your eyes again.

In summary:

1) Watch the two letters 'C' and 'T' until you hear a BEEP

- When watching, focus your eyes on the cross between the two letters and try not to move them.
- Keep your head at the same distance from the screen throughout the 30 seconds.

2) Close your eyes after the BEEP

- Watch the afterimage of 'C' and 'T' forming.
- Blink or use your hand to regenerate the afterimage when needed.

3) At the same time, imagine a black letter 'A' between them to complete the word 'CAT'

- Try to make it as real as the afterimages of 'C' and 'T'.

4) Open your eyes when you hear the second BEEP

- The second beep will sound about 30 seconds after the first one.

OK, here we go

When you are ready, press the NEXT tab to begin.

Did you experience any afterimage of the letters C and T? *

1) Yes

2) Not sure

3) No

Did you manage to create a visual image of the letter A in your mind's eye? *

1) Yes

2) Not sure

3) No

Now think about your experiences

In particular we would like you to focus on the similarity or difference between your experience of the afterimaged 'C' and 'T', compared to the deliberately imaged 'A'.

Please try to compare

(a) Your experience of the imagined letter 'A' when it was at its strongest.

WITH

(b) Your experience of the afterimage of 'C' and 'T' when they were at their strongest.

Use the sliding scales below to indicate how the 'A' differed or resembled the 'C' and 'T'. If a question does not make sense to you, click the UNSURE option at the end of the scale.

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the size of my imagined 'A' was *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the duration of my imagined 'A' was *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the blackness of my imagined 'A' against it background was FIX!!!!! *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the edges of my imagined 'A' were *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the moment to moment stability of my imagined 'A' was *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T' in front of my eyes, my visual image of the letter 'A' felt like it was located *

Compared to my afterimage of 'C' and 'T', the extent to which my imagined 'A' felt like SEEING something that was "really there" in front of me was *

Please choose whichever one of the following statements best describes your experience: *

I did not have much of a mental image of the 'A' at all.

I had some kind of mental image of the 'A', but even at its strongest, it did not look anything like the afterimages of the 'C' and 'T' when they were at their strongest.

My deliberate mental image of the 'A', at its strongest, looked just like the afterimages of the 'C' and 'T' when they were at their strongest.

None of these options describes my experience very well.

Try it once again - Last chance!

The last exercise was quite complex. Now that you know what to expect, please try it one more time.

In summary:

1) Watch the two letters 'C' and 'T' until you hear a BEEP

- When watching, focus your eyes on the cross between the two letters and try not to move them.
- Keep your head at the same distance from the screen throughout the 30 seconds.

2) Close your eyes after the BEEP

- Watch the afterimage of 'C' and 'T' forming.