Research suggests that when subjects are given a rule as to how to translate auditory or verbal information into images, the images have many common characteristics with cognitive representations derived from visual perceptions. This experiment examined the process of cognitive integration and the similarities and differences between how imagined and perceived information is processed in solving problems. The information integrated consisted of straight lines and semi-circles. All subjects learned to identify lines or curves corresponding to one of eight numbers through a paired-associate procedure. In the integration phase, subjects had to mentally construct one or more letters from 26 subsets of three different lines previously learned. Lines were presented to different subject groups by two methods, display or imagery. Unlike similar research, subjects could use different strategies: work forward from lines to letters, or backward from letters to lines. Results showed that different stimulus information sources can produce different situational and cognitive demands. These factors can affect the subject's choice of problem solving strategies and produce different response patterns. This research illustrated that methods are needed for perception and imagination research which do not restrict subjects' processing strategies. (BS)