Carmichael, Hogan and Walter (1932) An Experimental Study of the Effect of Language on the Reproduction of Visually Perceived Form

 Topic 8—Perception

Carmichael, Hogan and Walter (1932) An Experimental Study of the Effect of Language on the Reproduction of Visually Perceived Form

Aims:

• To see if the words used to describe an ambiguous object could affect the way participants would later redraw the image.
• To focus specifically on the influence of language on how visual images were perceived, by controlling other possible influences wherever possible.

Procedure:

• 95 participants (60 females & 35 males) who were divided into 3 groups, all containing a fairly even mix of males & females.
• All 3 groups were shown a visual display of 121 stimulus figures, which were black line drawings on white card.
• The pictures were shown on a white cardboard disc, 19cm in diameter, divided into 30 sections.
• A picture was placed on every other sector of the disc & then there was a gap of 7 blank sectors between the last in the sequence & the first one being shown again.
• When the pictures were shown to 2 of the groups of participants, a word/phrase was heard just before the picture appeared.
• So when the blank sector of the circle appeared just before the image, they heard the words ‘The next picture resembles…’ & then the word/phrase.
• The 1st group (48 participants) heard the first version of the word list to accompany the pictures.
• The 2nd group (38 participants) heard the second version of the word list alongside the pictures.
• The 3rd group (9 participants) was a control group who saw the pictures but without hearing any words.
• After the participants had seen all 12 pictures, they were asked to try to draw the pictures as clearly as they could in any order.
• If they could no…