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Orange Is Less Than Green: An Examination of Bidirectionality in Grapheme-Color Synesthesia
Stefanie A Drew1, Jasmine F Awad1, Brandon C Hackney1
1Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, CA, USA.
Perception
|May 29, 2018
Summary
Grapheme-color synesthetes show enhanced ability to perceive magnitude from colors, challenging the traditional unidirectional model. This suggests bidirectional communication in synesthesia and perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- Grapheme-color synesthesia involves experiencing colors associated with letters/numbers.
- Traditionally viewed as unidirectional: grapheme -> color, not color -> grapheme.
- Emerging research suggests potential bidirectional synesthetic experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if colors can induce a sense of magnitude in synesthetes.
- To challenge the traditional unidirectional model of synesthesia.
- To explore implications for neuronal communication in perception.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel paradigm using side-by-side color patches.
- Colors were based on individual synesthetes' reported associations.
- Participants judged the greater affiliated magnitude between two color patches.
Main Results:
- Synesthetes achieved 80.2% accuracy in magnitude judgment.
- Nonsynesthetes achieved 52.1% accuracy.
- Results significantly favor synesthetes' ability to derive magnitude from color.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the induction of magnitude from color in synesthetes.
- Challenges the established unidirectional model of synesthesia.
- Suggests bidirectional neuronal communication underlying synesthetic perception and general perception.
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