Synaesthesia and Visual Grouping Study

The theory that a person's synesthesia is simply recalling past experiences or memories of color associations.

A visual art technique of representing light and shadow using tones of gray.

When two senses are strongly intertwined and stimuli in one sense elicit an experience in another sense. For example, a letter 'A' can evoke the color red for a person with grapheme-color synesthesia.

The idea that a synesthetic experience might be based on metaphors or associations, rather than a direct sensory connection. For example, the letter 'A' might evoke the color 'red' because of a previous association, like the letter 'A' signifying 'apple' which is typically red.

The idea that synesthesia might be a result of the brain rewiring connections between different sensory areas, leading to an overlap in processing. For example, the area of the brain that processes letters might be cross-connected with the area that processes color.

A test that involves showing stimuli to examine how a person groups or organizes them based on specific characteristics. This can help understand how synesthetic experiences impact perceptual grouping.

The process of showing a synesthete a stimulus and asking them to report the color they see, which is related to the stimulus, even if the stimulus itself does not have any color.

The act of visually recognizing a stimulus, such as a black and white image of a banana, and associating it with its typical color, even though the stimulus itself is not colored.

A way of organizing things based on how close they are to each other.

A test where subjects are asked to identify patterns or relationships between stimuli. In this case, the stimuli were dots arranged in a specific way.

A group of people who are participating in an experiment or study.

A group of people who do not have the specific trait or characteristic being studied. In this case, the control group did not experience synesthesia.

A visual search task where participants have to identify a target shape embedded within a matrix of other shapes.

A technique used to study brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow.

A brain region associated with processing numerical information.

In a visual search task, the target shape that participants are looking for.

A group of trials in an experiment where the same target shape is used repeatedly.

A graphical representation of the information on a computer screen, usually composed of letters, numbers, or symbols.

The ability to perceive and process the visual world.

The observation that colors evoked by graphemes are specific to one visual field, suggesting a localized neurological phenomenon.

The observation that graphemes presented beyond a certain eccentricity, or distance from the center of vision, cease to evoke colors in some synesthetes.

A hypothesis suggesting that the increased connections in certain brain areas might explain both synesthesia and heightened creativity, leading to a higher incidence of synesthesia among artists, poets, and novelists.

The idea that a genetic mutation, potentially linked to the X chromosome, might lead to excessive brain connections. This could explain why synesthesia appears to be inherited and why certain brain areas might be "cross-wired" in people with synesthesia.

The potential for a mutation on the X chromosome to be responsible for the overgrowth of connections in the brain, potentially causing synesthesia. This is based on the observation that synesthesia often runs in families, suggesting a genetic link.

A possible cause of synesthesia where connections between different brain areas, like the visual and auditory areas, are overdeveloped, leading to a blending of sensory experiences.

The idea that synesthesia might be a consequence of excessive growth or inadequate pruning of neural connections between adjacent brain regions, leading to the unusual sensory experiences of synesthesia.

The phenomenon of individuals finding certain smells and tastes offensive and reacting with a facial expression similar to the one they might use when expressing moral disapproval.

The notion that the brain processes certain stimuli, like letters, through a network of regions, including the area responsible for color perception, leading to the experience of seeing colors associated with letters.

The idea that the same brain areas involved in processing physical disgust may also be involved in processing moral disgust, potentially explaining the shared facial expressions associated with both.

A type of synesthesia where specific graphemes (letters or numbers) evoke consistent, specific colors for the individual.

The idea that synesthesia is a result of connections between different brain areas being strengthened, causing cross-activation between senses.

An area in the brain associated with processing faces, which is also thought to be involved in some types of synesthesia.