颜色类别知觉效应的机制:语言的作用

The mechanism of color category perception: Effects of language

颜色类别知觉效应(Category Perception, CP 效应)表明,在颜色之间物理差异距离相等的前提下,个体区分不同类别的颜色比区分同一类别的颜色更快、更准确。这一效应产生的机制成为普遍进化理论和Sapir-Whorf 假设之间争论的重要证据。支持CP 效应由语言驱动的学者提出了CP 效应单侧化、受语言即时任务影响、跨语言研究和神经生理机制等证据,以表明语言在CP 效应中起决定性的作用;支持CP 效应具有普遍性的学者以CP 效应双侧化、婴儿的CP 效应、跨语言的反证等证据提出了质疑。近年来,出现了第三种观点,认为在颜色CP 效应中语言驱动机制和普遍机制并存,这种理论是普遍进化理论和Whorf 假设的折衷观点。从支持CP 效应由语言驱动的证据、支持CP 效应独立于语言的证据以及支持两种机制并存的观点等三个方面入手,可分析颜色CP 效应的产生机制及语言在其中所起的作用,未来研究可从概念系统渗入知觉系统的角度进行拓展。

Categorical perception (CP) effect indicates that people are faster and more accurately at discriminating between two colors from different categories than two colors from the same category, even when between- and within-category chromatic separation sizes are equated. CP effect is an important evidence for the controversy between Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and the Universal Evolution theory (UE). Some studies demonstrated that CP is language-driven. They found that CP is left-lateralized and is disrupted by verbal, but not by nonverbal interference task. Moreover, the language-driven CP also got support from the cross-language researches and neurophysiological studies. However, other studies proved the existence of bilateral CP effects and CP effect in pre-linguistic infants. In recent researches, there is a third perspective that CP effect results from both innate mechanism and language-driven mechanism. Evidences supporting language-driven CP, innate CP and the compromised viewpoint can be summarized to explore the mechanism of color CP and the effects of language. Further research should focus on the interaction between perception system and concept system.