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The objectification of overlearned sequences: a new view of spatial sequence synesthesia
1Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. eagleman@bcm.edu
Summary
Spatial sequence synesthesia (SSS) may be linked to how non-synesthetes represent sequences. This study analyzed 3D month-form coordinates, finding shapes and directions similar to implicit spatial representations in non-synesthetes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Spatial sequence synesthesia (SSS) involves explicit spatial locations for abstract sequences.
- Non-synesthetes exhibit implicit spatial representations, such as the spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect.
- The relationship between SSS and implicit spatial representations remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between spatial sequence synesthesia and implicit spatial representations in non-synesthetes.
- To quantify three-dimensional (3D) month-form coordinates in a large sample of synesthetes.
- To compare the spatial characteristics of synesthetic month-forms with assumed shapes in the SNARC effect.
Main Methods:
- Developed computer programs to quantify 3D month-form coordinates.
- Analyzed data from 571 self-reported spatial sequence synesthetes.
- Compared observed month-form shapes and directional biases with characteristics of the SNARC effect.
Main Results:
- Contrary to assumption, only a minority of month-forms were elliptical.
- 27% of month-forms were linear, aligning with implicit spatial forms in the SNARC effect.
- Most month-forms exhibited a left-to-right directional bias, consistent with the SNARC effect.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest spatial sequence synesthesia may be directly related to sequence representations in non-synesthetes.
- Propose temporal lobe regions involved in sequence coding and visual object representation as potential neural correlates.
- Challenges the focus on parietal lobe areas for understanding the neural basis of SSS.
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