Temporal sequences, synesthetic mappings, and cultural biases: the geography of time.
Time-space synesthetes report that they experience the months of the year as having a spatial layout. In Study 1, we characterize the phenomenology of calendar sequences produced by synesthetes and non-synesthetes, and show a conservative estimate of time-space synesthesia at 2.2% of the population. We demonstrate that synesthetes most commonly experience the months in a circular path, while non-synesthetes default to linear rows or rectangles. Study 2 compared synesthetes' and non-synesthetes' ability to memorize a novel spatial calendar, and revealed better performance in synesthetes. The capacity to learn mappings between arbitrary spatial forms and temporal sequences is present in all individuals, and time-space synesthetes' enhanced visuo-spatial memory abilities may underlie their creation of idiosyncratic spatial calendar forms.
Brang
David
D
Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. dbrang@ucsd.edu
Teuscher
Ursina
U
Ramachandran
V S
VS
Coulson
Seana
S
D001244:Association; D003118:Color Perception; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D019365:Metaphor; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012621:Seasons; D013028:Space Perception; D013995:Time; D013998:Time Perception; D014796:Visual Perception