Mental Visualization Fluency

What it measures

Three items measuring how readily a person can mentally visualize a specific object, scene, or action that they have been instructed to imagine. Lee et al. (2017) used the scale in Experiment 2C (n=99) to assess visualization fluency following a construal-level imagery task in which participants pictured a particular scenario. Factor analysis confirmed that the three items loaded on a single factor distinct from other visualization-related items, supporting unidimensionality. The blank in each item should be replaced with the object or scene being visualized.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• It was difficult to visualize the _____. (r)
• I could clearly visualize the _____.
• I was able to "see" the _____ in my mind.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Alpha was .86. Item 1 is reverse-scored (r). The word used in the blanks by Lee et al. (2017) was 'scene' following a scenario-based visualization task; other objects or actions are appropriate substitutes. Factor analysis (PAF with varimax) confirmed two-factor structure from a five-item pool, with these three items forming a clean visualization fluency factor.

Citation

Lee, H., Fujita, K., Deng, X., & Unnava, H.R. (2017). The role of temporal distance on the color of future-directed imagery: A construal-level perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(5), 707–725.

Keywords