Color makes a difference: two-dimensional object naming in literate and illiterate subjects

Reis, Alexandra; Faísca, Luís; Ingvar, Martin; Petersson, Karl Magnus

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/4887

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Authors

Reis, Alexandra

Faísca, Luís

Ingvar, Martin

Petersson, Karl Magnus

Abstract(s)

Previous work has shown that illiterate subjects are better at naming two-dimensional representations of real objects when presented as colored photos as compared to black and white drawings. This raises the question if color or textural details selectively improve object recognition and naming in illiterate compared to literate subjects. In this study, we investigated whether the surface texture and/or color of objects is used to access stored object knowledge in illiterate subjects. A group of illiterate subjects and a matched literate control group were compared on an immediate object naming task with four conditions: color and black and white (i.e., grey-scaled) photos, as well as color and black and white (i.e., grey-scaled) drawings of common everyday objects. The results show that illiterate subjects perform signiWcantly better when the stimuli are colored and this eVect is independent of the photographic detail. In addition, there were signiWcant diVerences between the literacy groups in the black and white condition for both drawings and photos. These results suggest that color object information contributes to object recognition. This eVect was particularly prominent in the illiterate group.

Keywords

Vidual naming Color processing

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/4887

Citation

Reis, Alexandra; Faísca, Luís; Ingvar, Martin; Petersson, KM. Color makes a difference: Two-dimensional object naming in literate and illiterate subjects, Brain and Cognition, 60, 1, 49-54, 2006.