By Willie Cox
Introduction:
The beginning weeks of college can be a very stressful and overwhelming time. To cope with this our mind uses several strategies that we are not aware of. Visual imagery is just one of these. Visual imagery involves picturing things in your mind even if you are not looking directly at them (4). This can involve seeing something from the past or present. We have the ability to represent spatial patterns from memory (4). Simply put, if you experience visual images when answering questions, you are experiencing visual imagery. For example, throughout our entire collegiate career and life for that matter, but even more so in the first few weeks of our college experience, our mind is using the process of visual imagery to process the emotional and mental challenges that come with starting college. The first few weeks of college can be full of chaos as we meet multiple new people, attend new classes, try to remember every last thing on the syllabi, and try to navigate living on our own for the first time. Being able to create mental images such as a schedule that is jam packed allows us to associate those experiences with just a quick picture.
Visual Imagery in Action
Imagine you are in your first week of college and are experiencing all kinds of emotions. Some of which might be excitement, anxiousness, or even a sense of feeling overwhelmed or homesick. This exact scenario can be represented through the visual imagery process by using mental images to describe how the feelings of being overwhelmed/anxious might also look like entering a classroom where it appears all of the seats have been filled, there are lots of loud voices, and you still have yet to find a seat. The visual imagery process allows us to create mental images and make associations to those images.
Furthermore, visualizing the route one takes to get to class before actually leaving to go to class is made possible through visual imagery. Being able to mentally recall previous experiences such as saying farewell to your hometown friends and family allow us the opportunity to reflect on those experiences and how we felt during them through the process of visual imagery. The process of visual imagery is how we make sense of experiences. Visual imagery gives us the opportunity to learn specific associations (3). Visual imagery allows us to make connections and improves our memory retention.
Additionally, visual imagery is said to enhance reading comprehension ability (5). Reading comprehension is a much-needed skill in college. One’s ability to comprehend what they read will have a huge impact on what information is retained. A lot of college quizzes and exams rely on comprehension of material. This skill can be difficult for many but with the use of visual imagery can be made much more manageable. Associating images with learned information can ensure one will have an easier time recalling information in the future.
Visual Imagery and Cognitive Psychology
Visual imagery involves our memory. Visual imagery can improve memory by associating items, visualizing, and organizing using the method of loci (2). Loci is a memory technique the brain uses to associate items to be remembered with specific locations in a particular space. Effectively storing and recalling information is made possible through visual imagery. When we are overwhelmed or anxious visual imagery helps us to connect those experiences and cope with them by finding a meaning. The process involves our ability to think, remember, and problem-solve. According to Wilhem Wundt in Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience, visuals have been proven to be an effective way to study, learn, and retain information (2). Visuals provide support for learning (1). Visual imagery is just one of the many ways our mind takes information, stores it, and uses it at other moments in time. Studying images is considered to be a way of also studying thinking. Visual imagery also relates to another cognitive processes called perception (2). Perception is how we interpret and make sense of everything through our senses. Visual imagery and perception are connected as they share similar mechanism in the visual cortex (2). The visual cortex is the part of the brain that processes visual information.
Conclusion:
So next time you find yourself stressing out over an exam or assignment that you decided to wait until last minute to study or begin, remember the visual imagery process and how it helps you to navigate through those tough experiences. Visualizing these experiences helps us to reflect, make connections, and make sense of the experience itself. Not to mention, we can turn the stressful situations into opportunities for growth. How we choose to handle stressful situations is what matters. Moreover, visual imagery provides ways for us to cope, manage emotions, and make the college experience more tolerable and meaningful. Having the necessary tools to develop academically and personally are what it is all about.
References
- Ekerim, M. G., & Yilmaz, M. B. (2022). The importance and meaningfulness of visuals: The situation for university students. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(1), 39–47. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1329831.pdf
- Goldstein, B. E. (2008). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth Publishing Company.
- Hollenberg, C. K. (1970). Functions of visual imagery in the learning and concept formation of children. Child Development, 41(4), 1003–1015. https://doi.org/10.2307/1127328
- Mulligan, J., Prescott, A., & Mitchelmore, M. (2003). Taking a closer look at young students’ visual imagery. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 8(4), 23–27. https://research.ebsco.com/c/l3rxun/viewer/pdf/qkcdpjnsgr
- Siagian, S. W., & Katemba, C. V. (2016). Comparative study between think aloud and visual imagery in enhancing students’ reading comprehension. Acuity: Journal of English Language Pedagogy, Literature and Culture, 1(2), 36–51. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1388083.pdf
