“Enacted” Auditory Images are Ambiguous; “Pure” Auditory Images are Not

Abstract

Previous research indicates that visual images are inherently unambiguous. The present study extends this argument to auditory imagery. In Experiment 1, subjects were able to reinterpret an imaged ambiguous auditory figure, but covert subvocalization apparently aided this reinterpretation. When subvocalization was blocked, reinterpretations were eliminated. Experiments 2 and 3 generalize this finding to different procedures and stimuli. Experiment 4 explores further the role of subvocalization, by showing that the likelihood of reinterpreting an imaged stimulus is directly proportional to the degree of enactment allowed. We argue that subvocalization or enactment provides an internal stimulus that is subject to reinterpretation. Without enactment, the "pure" auditory image is as unambiguous as a visual image. Thus, in both visual and auditory modalities, images come into being as representations and so are inherently meaningful.

Visual contribution to the multistable perception of speech

“…This transformation process persists throughout the repetition procedure, leading to perceptual transitions from one speech form to another. Although verbal transformations have mainly been studied as a purely acoustical/auditory effect (e.g., MacKay, Wulf, Yin, & Abrams, 1993;Pitt & Shoaf, 2001Warren, 1961), it has been shown that the effect occurs not only during a purely auditory procedure but also during an overt or covert repetition procedure (Reisberg, Smith, Baxter, & Sonenshine, 1989;Sato, Schwartz, Abry, Cathiard, & Loevenbruck, 2006;Smith, Reisberg, & Wilson, 1995).…”

Parieto-frontal gamma band activity during the perceptual emergence of speech forms

“…With this production procedure, the number of verbal transformations has been shown to gradually decrease from a condition of complete externalization to one of complete internalization, when subarticulation is blocked by a concurrent articulatory task, through a condition of partial externalization (i.e., whispering, mouthing; Reisberg et al, 1989). Sato and colleagues (2006) further showed that verbal transformations are specifically influenced by articulatory synergies.…”

“…While verbal transformations have initially been studied as a pure auditory perceptual effect, they appear to occur also when subjects repeatedly utter the speech stimulus in both an overt and a covert mode (Reisberg et al, 1989;Smith et al, 1995;Sato et al, 2006). With this production procedure, the number of verbal transformations has been shown to gradually decrease from a condition of complete externalization to one of complete internalization, when subarticulation is blocked by a concurrent articulatory task, through a condition of partial externalization (i.e., whispering, mouthing; Reisberg et al, 1989).…”

Perceiving imitatible stimuli: Consequences of isomorphism between input and output.

“…For example, a wide variety of auditory imagery tasks rely on motoric representations of speech output (Reisberg, Smith, Baxter, & Sonenshine, 1989;Smith, Reisberg, & Wilson, 1992;Smith, Wilson, & Reisberg, 1995). Thus, the special processing abilities conferred by imitatibility may contribute even to off-line cognitive tasks.…”