Do we perceive colours differently depending on the language we speak?

 

In language that we speak every day we use phenomenon  known as colour categorization. That means  grouping of shades in the same category and that only a limited number of words are used to refer to them. It shows that the world of colours, like many other aspects of perception, can be affected by cultural influences and by our learning experiences. As an example, in English and Spanish, there is one basic term to refer to bluish colours. However, in languages such as Russian, Greek and Turkish, there are different terms for light blue and dark blue. Several studies have shown that speakers of these languages are quicker and more confident when it comes to differentiating between intermediate shades of colours.  Also the classic study by anthropologists Brent Berlin and Paul Kay (1969) shows that what we find is a universal pattern that revolves around the six basic colours: white, black, blue, yellow, green and red.

I think this is really interesting  that the language we learn can somehow  affect the way we perceive some shades of colours. However, with rapid training , anyone can expand their colour vocabulary and easily learn to discriminate between different shades of blue or any other colour. The flexibility of our sensory processes also allows us to adjust to our environment so it is really easy to change the way that we perceive colours.


source: https://theconversation.com/do-we-perceive-colours-differently-depending-on-the-language-we-speak-192116

Komentarze

Prześlij komentarz

Popularne posty z tego bloga

Glaciers in the Alps are melting faster than ever

The year 2022 is exceptional. There are basically three reasons for the strong retreat of the glaciers this year, according to experts. One is the low snowfall in winter and spring. Another is sand from the Sahara Desert that blew all the way to Switzerland between March and May and deposited on ice and snow. The contaminated snow absorbed more solar energy and melted faster. Finally, the exceptional summer heatwave resulted in record temperatures even at high altitudes. Annual ice loss around 2% of a glacier’s overall volume was called extreme   by glaciologists but this year Switzerland’s glaciers have lost an average of 6.2% of their ice.   Thanks in part to work by the charitable organization Alpine Glacier Project we can observe the effect of our warming climate through chemically monitoring changes in meltwater, topographically surveying the landscape and by taking photos from the same position over the years. Over the project’s five decades, Gorner Glacier and Findel G...
Czytaj więcej

Discovery of a new species of owl

A new species of owl has been discovered in the rainforests of an island off the west coast of Africa. The bird was found on Principe Island, which is part of the country of Sao Tome and Principe. It has been named as such, officially anointed as the Principe Scops-Owl or Otus bikegila. While local testimonies suggest it could have lived there as far back as 1928, scientists were not able to confirm its presence until 2016. One of the main clues leading to its discovery was its unique call. Otus bikegila's unique call is a short 'tuu' note repeated at a fast rate of about one note per second, reminiscent of insect calls. It is often emitted in duets, almost as soon as the night has fallen. While the entire island was searched, the owl was only found in a forest uninhabited by humans to the south. It occupies a relatively small area of ​​15km squared and is inhabited by 1,000 to 1,500 owls. The owl is the eighth known species of bird endemic to Principe. While the number of ...
Czytaj więcej

Why are conspiracy theories so popular?

 The popularity of conspiracy theories is due to the fact that this theories satisfy our need to feel in control - over our lives, over what is happening around us. We like to know why certain things are happening, to be sure or anticipate things. When something is unclear or unpredictable for us, we have a tendency to create various conspiracy theories that order the world and make it more understandable and reduce anxiety. People begin to see connections between random things, which give meaning to current and past events and predict future events. To sum up,  building conspiracy theories gives people a sense of control and understanding.
Czytaj więcej