The conceptual grouping effect: categories matter (and named categories matter more).
Do conceptual categories affect basic visual processing? A conceptual grouping effect for familiar stimuli is reported using a visual search paradigm. Search through conceptually-homogeneous non-targets was faster and more efficient than search through conceptually-heterogeneous non-targets. This effect cannot be attributed to perceptual factors and is not explained by a long-term representational reorganization due to perceptual-learning. Rather, conceptual categories seem to modulate visual representations dynamically, and are sensitive to task-demands. Verbally labeling a visual target further exaggerates the degree to which conceptual categories penetrate visual processing.
Lupyan
Gary
G
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburg, PA 15213-3890, USA. glupyan@cnbc.cmu.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D006801:Humans; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception