Comparative cognitive approach to crossmodal correspondences

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K00207
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Adachi Ikuma 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 准教授 (80543214)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 感覚間一致 / 言語進化 / 空間表象 / 比較認知科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To better understand evolutionary origin of crossmodal correspondences, we examined if chimpanzees have such correspondences. Specifically we focuses on crossmodal correspondence between sound pitch and brightness and one between sound pitch and spatial position. Previous studies have shown that we human have to types of biases supporting crossmodal correspondences between sound p@itch and brightness. One is called attention bias which guide participants attention to corresponding brightness upon hearing a sound. The other is called perceptual bias, which shift subjective experience of brightness toward the corresponding brightness upon hearing a sound. Our research showed that chimpanzees have both biases similar to human and also have correspondences between sound pitch and spatial position.

Free Research Field

比較認知科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、ラベル生成・理解、概念メタファーの進化的基盤として感覚間一致に着目し、比較認知科学的なアプローチをおこなうことで、言語進化の研究に新たな道筋をつけた最先端研究といえる。こうした、新たなアプローチを施すことにより、感覚間一致に関して、ヒトとチンパンジーをはじめとするその他の種の間の相違点をあきらかにすることで、ヒトの言語の進化的基盤に対し、新たな知見を提供でき、認知科学、進化心理学、比較認知科学の研究分野に大きなインパクトを与えると期待される。