The relationship between visual perception and lexical marking

Note:An asymmetry was found in subjects responses to triplets of visually-presented items which varied along one (simple) or two (complex) physical dimensions. These results were obtained in an experiment where subjects made similarity-difference judgements in one of three conditions. lVhen verbal cues were provided, performance was symmetrical. When no cues were provided, and when language was suppressed, responses to cards containing two "unmarkedtl items were fastest for complex relations and slowest for simple relations. The asymmetry is discussed in terms of different characteristics of the items which determine how they are processed and compared. The results are seen as supporting the notion of a common, abstract, representational system for language and visual perception.Une asymetrie est evidente dans les temps de repondre a des triplets d'objets presentes visuellement, qui varient en une (simple) ou deux (complexe) dimensions physiques. Cette decouverte sort d'une experience dans laquelle trois groupes de sujets ont juge de la similarite et de la difference des objets. Dans le groupe ou l'information verbale a ete fournie, les reponses etaient symetriques. Dans le groupe ou l'information n'a pas ete fournie, et dans celle ou la vocalization a ete empechee, les reponses aux cartes contenant deux objets "marquesll etaient plus lentes pour les relations complexes et plus rapides pour les relations simples. Evidemment, les differentes caracteristiques des objets determinent la maniere dont ils sont interpretes et compares. Les resultats soutiennent la notion d'un systeme de representation abstrait et commun pour le langage et la perception visuelle