Power Of Imagination Is More Than Just A Metaphor

(Apr. 15, 2009) — We've heard it before: "Imagine yourself passing the exam
or scoring a goal and it will happen." We may roll our eyes and think that's
easier said than done, but in a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of
the Association for Psychological Science, psychologists Christopher Davoli and
Richard Abrams from Washington University suggest that the imagination may be
more effective than we think in helping us reach our goals.

A group of students searched visual displays for specific letters (which were
scattered among other letters serving as distractors) and identified them as
quickly as possible by pressing a button. While performing this task, the
students were asked to either imagine themselves holding the display monitor
with both hands or with their hands behind their backs (it was emphasized that
they were not to assume those poses, but just imagine them).

The results showed that simply imagining a posture may have effects that are
similar to actually assuming the pose. The participants spent more time
searching the display when they imagined themselves holding the monitor,
compared to when they imagined themselves with their hands behind their backs.
The researchers suggest that the slower rate of searching indicates a more
thorough analysis of items closer to the hands. Previous research has shown that
we spend more time looking at items close to our hands (items close to us are
usually more important than those further away), but this is the first study
suggesting that merely imagining something close to our hands will cause us to
pay more attention to it.

The researchers suggest these findings indicate that our "peripersonal space"
(the space around our body) can be extended into a space where an imagined
posture would take us. They note there may be advantages to having this ability,
such as determining if an action is realistic (e.g., "Can I reach the top
shelf?") and helping us to avoid collisions. The authors conclude that the
present study confirms "an idea that has long been espoused by motivational
speakers, sports psychologists, and John Lennon alike: The imagination has the
extraordinary capacity to shape reality."

Journal reference:

. Reaching Out With the Imagination. Psychological Science, (in press)
Adapted from materials provided by Association for Psychological Science.
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Association for Psychological Science (2009, April 15). Power Of Imagination Is
More Than Just A Metaphor. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090414153527.htm




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