Whorfian effects on colour memory are not reliable

Abstract

The Whorfian hypothesis suggests that differences between languages cause differences in cognitive processes. Support for this idea comes from studies that find that patterns of colour memory errors made by speakers of different languages align with differences in colour lexicons. The current study provides a large-scale investigation of the relationship between colour language and colour memory, adopting a cross-linguistic and developmental approach. Colour memory on a delayed matching-to-sample (XAB) task was investigated in 2 language groups with differing colour lexicons, for 3 developmental stages and 2 regions of colour space. Analyses used a Bayesian technique to provide simultaneous assessment of two competing hypotheses (H1-Whorfian effect present, H0-Whorfian effect absent). Results of the analyses consistently favoured H0. The findings suggest that Whorfian effects on colour memory are not reliable and that the importance of such effects should not be overestimated.

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis and Probabilistic Inference: Evidence from the Domain of Color

“…The approach proposed here also has the potential to resolve another source of controversy surrounding the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: that some findings taken to support it do not replicate reliably (e.g. in the case of color: [ 15 – 17 ]). Framing the issue in terms of probabilistic inference touches this question by highlighting the theoretically central role of uncertainty , as in models of probabilistic cue integration [ 24 ].…”

“…Reinforcing the idea that language is implicated in these findings, it has been shown that the apparent effect of language on color cognition disappears when participants are given a verbal [ 7 ] (but not a visual) interference task [ 8 , 11 , 12 ]; this suggests that language may operate through on-line use of verbal representations that can be temporarily disabled. However, some of these findings have a mixed record of replication [ 14 – 17 ]. Thus, despite the substantial empirical evidence already available, the role of language in color cognition remains disputed.…”

“…In so doing, it would underscore the potentially important role of uncertainty , whether originating in memory or perception, in framing the debate theoretically. Second, and relatedly, it would suggest a possible reason why effects of language on color memory and perception are sometimes found, and sometimes not [ 17 ]. Concretely, the model predicts that greater uncertainty in the fine-grained representation—induced for example through a memory delay, or noise in perception—will lead to greater influence of the category, and thus a stronger bias in reproduction.…”

The Sapir‐Whorf hypothesis and inference under uncertainty

“…With respect to replication, while several studies have found effects of language on color memory and perception, others have failed to do so, 26;27 as reflected in the title of a recent article: "Whorfian effects on colour memory are not reliable". 27 Thus, despite the substantial evidence supporting the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in the color domain, the picture remains unsettled, both theoretically and empirically.…”

Categorical Perception Beyond the Basic Level: The Case of Warm and Cool Colors

“…Categories can affect our perception of the world, rendering between-category differences more salient than within-category ones (Goldstone & Hendrickson, 2010;Harnad, 1987). Across many studies, such categorical perception (CP) 1 has been observed for the basic-level categories of one's native language (e.g., Roberson, Pak, & Hanley, 2008;Thierry, Athanasopoulos, Wiggett, Dering, & Kuipers, 2009;Winawer et al, 2007; but see Wright, Davies, & Franklin, 2015). Other research points to categorical distinctions beyond the basic level (e.g., Berlin, Breedlove, & Raven, 1968;Boster, 1986;Heider, 1972), but it does not demonstrate CP for such distinctions.…”