Reports of mental imagery in retrieval from long-term memory.

Phenomenal reports were obtained immediately after participants retrieved information from long-term memory. Data were gathered for six basic forms of memory (semantic, generic perceptual, recollective, motor skill, rote skill, cognitive skill) and for three forms of memory that asked for declarative information about procedural tasks (motor-declarative, rote-declarative, cognitive-declarative). The data show consistent reports of mental imagery during retrieval of information from the generic perceptual, recollective, motor-declarative, rote-declarative, and cognitive-declarative categories; much less imagery was reported for the semantic, motor, rote, and cognitive categories. Overall, the data provide support for the theoretical framework outlined in Brewer and Pani (1983).