IMAGE AS MEDIUM

Weaknesses of Images

Images are not ideal for conveying conceptual, philosophical, and abstract information – what is below the surface or above the instance. Images are generally less suited than language for explaining, clarifying, asking questions, speculating, negating, or conveying complex inner thoughts.

Although images can be used to greatly simplify complex information (e.g. a visual display of data or a diagram of the water cycle), sometimes such representations are governed by conventions that can be quite complex, requiring training and practice to interpret. Thus images are not always totally straightforward and easy to understand.

Barriers to understanding images can occur in any or all brain networks including difficulty seeing or recognizing image content; difficulty examining images strategically, and lack of interest or inclination to interact with images.

What brain research tells us about individual differences.