This is the first volume in the Counterpoints Series,
which explores the issues being debated in psychology, child
development, linguistics, and neuroscience. Each volume
consists of the presentation of three or four extensive
chapters by researchers representing key points of view on
the issue. This text examines one of the liveliest areas of
debate in psychology today, the relationship between
perception and mental imagery. A variety of recent studies
have pointed to the existence of a strong relationship
between memory and mental representation, while others have
shown that images are open to reinterpretation and
manipulation, and are therefore not merely static
impressions or mental representations of memories. Three
core chapters by researchers in the midst of this
debate--Maria Brandimonte, Geir Kaufmann, and Dan
Reisberg--make up the central portion of this text. The
first chapter is a historical overview of the problem as
well as a review of the research in psychology and the argument as it has developed in related fields, such as
philosophy and artificial intelligence. The last chapter
pulls together all of the positions and points to new areas
of research which may help uncover an explanation for the
apparent contradictions in the research. Students and
researchers in psychology and cognitive psychology will
benefit from this comprehensive look at this heated debate.