Color names, stimulus color, and their subjective links

Abstract

The aim of the research reported by this study was on the one hand to identify what colors were associated with particular words in relation to a specific language (Italian), by portraying them in color stimuli on the screen of a monitor; and on the other hand to verify whether some words of that language denoted colors that were either particularly well defined or confused with others. In an experiment using special software, the subjects were asked to produce colors directly, instead of choosing among a number of colors presented on the screen. The results showed that (i) it is possible to identify the color-stimuli to which the terms of a language refer; that (ii) the "best" colors Giallo (Yellow), Rosso (Red), Blu (Blue), and Verde (Green) which the subjects were requested to produce were very similar to the corresponding unique hues; that (iii) among the mixed hues there were perceptually intermediate colors, that is, ones exactly midway between two consecutive unique colors: Arancione (Orange) and Viola (bluish Purple); that (iv) Turquoise and Lime were clearly positioned in the mental space of color of the participants; and that (v) for Italian speakers some hues coincide: Azzurro (Azure) and Celeste (Cerulean); Arancione (Orange), RossoGiallo (RedYellow) and Carota (Carrot); Lime and GialloVerde (YellowGreen), so that their color terms can be considered synonyms. Our most interesting finding, however, is that for Italian speakers these four mixed colors with their specific names (Lime, Turchese (Turquoise), Viola (bluish Purple) and Arancione (Orange) fall perceptually in the middle of each of the four quadrants formed in the hue circle by the four unique hues. The resulting circle is therefore characterized by eight colors of which four are unique and four are intermediate mixed. It would be advisable to repeat the study cross-culturally to test for possible similarities and differences in color meanings with speakers of different languages.

Naturalizing Phenomenology: A Must Have?

“…Experimental phenomenology shows the direction. The outcomes of recent experiments, in fact, are promising ( Albertazzi et al, 2015 , 2016a , b ; Albertazzi and Da Pos, 2016 ), and they also show that complex scenes can be experimentally tested in a rigorous way. Whatever we may come to know about the brain ( Marshall and Magoun, 1998 ), from the viewpoint of “the phenomenologist” (descriptive, demonstrative, and experimental) it does not offer any information on consciousness phenomena.…”

“…Applied in this way, and focusing on characteristics of the specific phenomena, to a certain extent OD succeeds in avoiding the ambiguities potentially emerging from descriptive narratives. Some opacity remains, however, due to the different conceptualizations shaping different languages: consider the differences in the more or less reddish or bluish appearance of “purple” colors in different cultures, for example in Italian and English [purple (porpora) and violet (viola)] ( Albertazzi and Da Pos, 2016 ).…”

“…Another method alternative to the non-phenomenological standard method was first introduced by Albertazzi and Da Pos (2016) . The aim was on the one hand to identify what colors were associated with particular words in relation to a specific language (Italian) by objectifying them in color stimuli on the screen of a monitor; and on the other hand, to verify whether some words of that language denoted colors which were either particularly well defined or confused with others.…”

“…A classic example of this apparent defeat of subjective experiences is provided by the philosophical conundrum of the incomparability of the “red” in my mind and in yours. On the contrary, a little phenomenological imagination and an exact experimental procedure suffice to dissolve what is essentially a sophistic argument: for example, to make subjects produce and objectify their own color mental contents ( Albertazzi and Da Pos, 2016 and below). However, the supposed explanatory power of veridicalism ( Pizlo et al, 2014 ; Pizlo, 2015 ) is far from being confuted or defeated.…”

Sensual Light? Subjective Dimensions of Ambient Illumination

“…As said, only in a few cases (i.e., for few adjectives) was an option close to the neutral value chosen on average by the participants, and generally not with both illuminants. In other words, specific qualitative phenomena related to lighting terms (at least as concerns the Italian language) prove to be trustable categories of classification for subjective experiences (see Albertazzi & Da Pos, 2016). In the future, other studies may repeat the experiment with subjects speaking a very different language, to test the appropriateness of their linguistic categories to the different appearances of perceived illumination.…”