Imagery Vividness (Visual — VVIQ)

What it measures

Sixteen items assess the clarity and vividness of visual mental images a person can evoke, covering people, natural scenes, and retail environments. Measures general visual imagery ability rather than responses to a specific stimulus.

Response format

5-point Likert (1=no image at all, 5=perfectly clear and vivid)

Scale items

• [Person] The exact contour of face, head, shoulders, and body.
• [Person] Characteristic poses of head, attitudes of body, etc.
• [Person] The precise carriage, length of step, etc., in walking.
• [Person] The different colors worn in some familiar clothes.
• [Sunrise] The sun is rising above the horizon into a hazy sky.
• [Sunrise] The sky clears and surrounds the sun with blueness.
• [Sunrise] Clouds. A storm blows up, with flashes of lightning.
• [Sunrise] A rainbow appears.
• [Shop front] The overall appearance of the shop from the opposite side of the road.
• [Shop front] A window display, including colors, shapes and details of individual items for sale.
• [Shop front] You are near the entrance. The color, shape and details of the door.
• [Shop front] You enter the shop and go to the counter. The counter assistant serves you. Money is exchanged.
• [Country scene] The contours of the landscape.
• [Country scene] The color and shape of the trees.
• [Country scene] The color and shape of the lake.
• [Country scene] A strong wind blows on the trees and on the lake causing waves.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Developed by Marks (1973); 11 original items plus 5 from Betts (1909). Alpha .85 (Childers et al. 1985, Study 1); .84 and .85 in Study 2. Widely used in advertising and consumer research examining mental simulation and imagery-based elaboration.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Marks, D. F. (1973). Visual imagery differences in the recall of pictures. British Journal of Psychology, 64(1), 17–24.

Keywords