Color-shape associations in developemental disorders

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22296
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities
• Principal Investigator: Chen Na 国立障害者リハビリテーションセンター(研究所), 研究所 脳機能系障害研究部, 流動研究員 (30873947)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: color-shape association

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study used both explicit and implicit experimental methods to examine color-shape associations in developmental disorders. By the online questionnaire survey, participants with higher autistic traits showed fewer consensual color-shape associations. However, using computer-based indirect experimental method, participants with higher autistic traits showed stronger congruency effect of CSAs on both feature discrimination and feature binding (e.g., circle-red, triangle-yellow) tested by IATs and illusory conjunction task. Thus, autistic traits play a role in the construction of color-shape associations. Those results may be explained by the Bayesian model underlying autistic perception. People may construct color-shape associations at an early age, and the strength of those associations have been weakened by learning with co-occurrence of colors and shapes in the environment, while people with higher autistic traits may influenced less by prior learning experience.

Free Research Field

Experimental psychology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

People with higher autistic traits showed a stronger binding of color-shape associations. Autistic traits play a role in the construction of color-shape associations. Those results shed light on the nature of color-shape associations and autistic perception, which could be used in visual design.