Visual Perspective in Mental Imagery: Testing an Integrative Model of its Effects on Judgment, Emotion, Goal-Pursuit, and Self-Insight

Ohio State University Research Foundation -Do Not Use, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

When people recall past experiences or contemplate future ones, they tend to see images of those events in their mind's eye. Interestingly, the visual perspective of these images can vary. Often people picture events in their mind's eye from a first-person perspective, looking at the situation from the visual perspective they would have if they were actually experiencing the event. Other times people picture events from a third-person perspective, so that they see themselves in the image from an observer's visual perspective. Recent research shows that imagery perspective is not merely a phenomenological curiosity: The perspective people use to picture life events affects subsequent judgments, feelings, and even behavior. For example, in the PI's previous work investigating the effect of mental imagery on voting in the 2004 US presidential election, registered voters were found to be significantly more likely to turn out to the polls if, on the night before the election, they had been assigned to use the third-person rather than first-person perspective to picture themselves voting. However, despite evidence that imagery perspective can influence important outcomes, little is known about why it has such effects or how to maximize its potential. The present research makes both theoretical and practical contributions to understanding and harnessing the power of imagery perspective. According to the proposed model, imagery perspective affects the mindset people use when contemplating an event. The first-person perspective promotes an experiential mindset in which people imaginatively project themselves into an event to achieve a concrete understanding of that specific situation. In contrast, the third-person perspective promotes a reflective mindset in which people place the imaged event in a broader context and integrate it with their general self-views and long-term goals. In turn, the model specifies that when people picture an event from the first-person perspective their reactions to it are driven by what it felt like to experience the event whereas when they picture it from the third-person perspective their reactions are driven by what the event means in the grand scheme of their life as a whole. One set of studies seeks evidence for this model. Three additional sets of studies test practical implications of the model for controlling emotions, achieving goals, and improving decision-making. Specifically, the model predicts that by evoking a reflective mindset which highlights the broader personal relevance of an event the third person perspective will: 1) amplify experiences of pride, shame, and particular kinds of regret when people think about their own successes and failures, 2) enhance motivation and commitment to goals when people picture certain types of actions relevant to their goals, and 3) lead people to rely less on their gut feelings and more on what logically fits with their beliefs about themselves when making predictions and choices for the future. On a theoretical level, the present research makes a significant contribution by proposing a comprehensive framework to integrate a disparate set of existing findings and provide the basis for novel predictions. On a practical level, the present research suggests how relatively simple manipulations of imagery perspective, which people can readily implement without special training, produce functionally distinct mindsets and thereby have a significant impact on emotional well-being, self-regulation, and self-insight.