INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF PRESENTATION MODALITY AND MESSAGE-GENERATED IMAGERY ON RECALL OF ADVERTISING INFORMATION

We argue that imaging is a cognitive process that uses the same mental resources as perception. Therefore, when imaging and perception compe te for the same resources, message elaboration and learning should be undermined. Two experiments are reported that provide support for this theorizing. In the first experiment, the learning of visual or audito ry imagery-provoking information is adversely affected by reading or l istening, respectively. In the second experiment, information with hig h levels of visual imagery is found to be learned better than informat ion with low levels of visual imagery when the information is presente d auditorily, but the reverse occurs when information is presented vis ually.