Mental Imagery and Cognitive Processes in Learning

Cognitive processes make significant contributions to how individuals acquire knowledge. One particular area of interest is the influence of mental imagery on learning outcomes. Mental imagery involves visualizing an action or object without it being present, and it is thought to facilitate learning by enhancing recall and understanding. In an experimental setting, researchers found that participants who were instructed to visualize the learning material performed significantly better on a subsequent recall test than those who did not engage in visualization. Given this information, what underlying cognitive process is primarily demonstrated by the use of mental imagery in learning?