title: Is the Lateralized Categorical Perception of Color a Situational Effect of Language on Color Perception?
abstract: This study investigated whether and how a person's varied series of lexical categories corresponding to different discriminatory characteristics of the same colors affect his or her perception of colors. In three experiments, Chinese participants were primed to categorize four graduated colors-specifically dark green, light green, light blue, and dark blue-into green and blue; light color and dark color; and dark green, light green, light blue, and dark blue. The participants were then required to complete a visual search task. Reaction times in the visual search task indicated that different lateralized categorical perceptions (CPs) of color corresponded to the various priming situations. These results suggest that all of the lexical categories corresponding to different discriminatory characteristics of the same colors can influence people's perceptions of colors and that color perceptions can be influenced differently by distinct types of lexical categories depending on the context.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University.|Guangdong Justice Police Vocational College.
authors.forename: Weifang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University.
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University.
authors.forename: Yulan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Categorical perception; Color perception; Discriminating situation; Lexical category; Whorf hypothesis