Six groups of 15 Ss were given varying information about recall and were tested twice for learning of a list of either concrete or abstract nouns. Results indicated that variation in Ss' expressed confusion was lawfully related to variation in the report of the incidence and vividness of the mental imagery that they aroused. Data were consistent with the notion that the arousal of imagery is facilitated by the occurrence of a conflict in consciousness, even when abstract material is being learned.
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