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Marks'

Vividness of Visual Imagery

Questionnaire

 

Source: Marks, D.F. (1973).  Visual imagery in the recall of pictures.  British Journal of Psychology, 64, 17-24.

Employed in: Kihlstrom, J.F., Glisky, M.L., Peterson, M.A., Harvey, E.M., & Rose, P.M. (1991). Vividness and control of mental imagery: A psychometric analysis. Journal of Mental Imagery, 15, 133-142.

Please rate the vividness of each image by reference to the rating scale shown below:

1 2 3 4 5
Perfectly Clear and as vivid as normal vision Clear and reasonably vivid Moderately clear and vivid Vague and dim No image at all (only "knowing" that you are thinking of the object)

Think of some relative or friend whom you frequently see (but who is not with you at present), and consider carefully the picture that comes before your mind's eye.  Then rate the following items:

1 The exact contour of face, head, shoulders, and body.
2 Characteristic poses of head, attitudes of body, etc.
3 The precise carriage, length of step, etc., in walking.
4 The different colors worn in some familiar clothes.

 

Visualize a rising sun.  Consider carefully the picture that comes before your mind's eye.  Then rate the following items.

5 The sun is rising above the horizon into a hazy sky.
6 The sky clears and surrounds the sun with blueness.
7 Clouds.  A storm blows up, with flashes of lightning.
8 A rainbow appears.

 

Think of the front of a shop to which you often go.  Consider the picture that comes before your mind's eye.  Then rate the following items.

9 The overall appearance of the shop from the opposite side of the road.
10 A window display including colors, shapes, and details of   individual items for sale.
11 You are near the entrance.  The color, shape, and details of the door.
12 You enter the shop and go to the counter.  The counter assistant serves you.  Money changes hands.

   

      Finally, think of a country scene which involves trees, mountains and a lake.  Consider the picture that comes before your mind's eye.  Then rate the following items.

13 The contours of the landscape.
14 The color and shape of the trees.
15 The color and shape of the lake.
16 A strong wind blows on the trees and on the lake, causing  waves.