ABSTRACT
The scientific study of individual differences in imagery ability can be traced to the very beginnings of differential psychology. People probably have always talked about their minds and experiences. Thus, it is no surprise that self-report techniques are the oldest method of studying imagery. Woodworth describes number of tests developed in the first decade of the 20th century. Clearly, it is desirable first to have a theory of imagery that will direct one to the important variables. It is most convenient first to discuss the data structures and then to consider the kinds of processes that make use of them. Images are treated as surface representations generated from more abstract “deep” level representations. One of the purposes of developing a general model, the people have claimed, is that it helps to focus one's attention on the junctures where important individual differences may take place. This chapter has outlined a theoretical approach to the study of individual differences in imagery use.
