Bates, Kathryn Elizabeth;
(2021)
Picture this: an investigation of the neural and behavioural correlates of mental imagery in childhood and adulthood with implications for children with ADHD.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Mental imagery (MI), a vital tool in supporting memory and learning, is defined as the ability to generate and manipulate mental images in mind in the absence of sensory input. Despite its importance, there is limited understanding of the development of MI, or the developmental relationship between MI and visual working memory (VWM). In adults, it is speculated that individual differences in VWM capacity depend on variable recruitment of MI strategies. However, this has not been tested directly. The aims of this thesis are to address these gaps in the literature. With respect to development, findings demonstrate that MI is visually depictive in nature in children from age 6 (in support of depictive theory of MI) and that MI is a multi-faceted function rather than a unitary construct. That is, components of MI (image generation, image maintenance, mental rotation, image scanning) develop separably from 6 to 11 years, although note that image maintenance and mental rotation become related in adulthood. No relationship was found between components of MI and VWM in adulthood, typically developing children or in children with ADHD (age 8-14 years). Contrary to predictions, the ADHD group demonstrated broadly typical performance in each MI component and in VWM and no syndrome-specific profile of MI/VWM performance. This suggests that MI is not a weakness in ADHD and could be a useful learning tool for this group. Exactly how individual differences in MI support VWM was tested in adults. Findings demonstrated that adults exert wilful control over the visual precision and capacity of visual representations within VWM. However, individual differences in both subjective MI vividness and quantity ratings did not map onto the neural correlates of VWM (contralateral delay activity, anterior directing attention negativity). Thus, it is concluded that the subjective experiences of MI are distinct from implicit visual representations.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Picture this: an investigation of the neural and behavioural correlates of mental imagery in childhood and adulthood with implications for children with ADHD |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10136927 |
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