title: Cross-sensory correspondences and naive conceptions of natural phenomena.
abstract: Cross-sensory correspondences automatically intrude on performance in elaborate laboratory tasks (see Spence 2011 Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 73 971-995, for a review). Outside such tasks, might they be responsible for some popular misconceptions about natural phenomena? Four simple demonstrations reveal how the correspondences between surface-lightness and weight, and between surface-lightness and auditory pitch, generate misconceptions about the weight and movement of objects and the vocalisations of animals. Specifically, people expect darker objects to be heavier than lighter-coloured objects, to free-fall more quickly, to roll across a table more slowly, and to make lower-pitched vocalisations when they come to life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YF UK. p.walker@lancaster.ac.uk
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001244:Association; D003118:Color Perception; D003210:Concept Formation; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D003469:Culture; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010898:Pitch Perception; D014796:Visual Perception; D014892:Weight Perception; D055815:Young Adult