When we form a mental image our experience seems much like seeing something in our mind. It seems a lot like vision. When we form a mental image we seem to be able to manipulate them and we seem to be solving problems some times by means of manipulating them.
Mental images can be quite detailed but they tend to be less detailed than actual perception.
Can be used to recognize properties of objects. Subtle visual properties Properties that had not previously been labeled Properties which can't easily be deduced. Eyebrows, Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Ears Subjects asked to memorize picture or memorize verbal description. All subjects shown a target picture and asked if it matched while response time was taken. Ss asked to imagine two different sized animals side by side.