The idea that language influences perceptual processes has been a controversial topic in cognitive neuroscience for decades. Early theories assumed that perceptual processes were not affected by the linguistic abilities of the individual. But, cross-cultural studies on populations with different native languages showed differences in their perceptual abilities. Newer studies using pseudoword verbal labels in controlled lab conditions showed that verbal labels influence even low-level processing in the sensory cortex. This top-down influence could be a fundamental organizing principle of the sensory systems, however, evidence apart from visual and auditory have been lacking in the field. To fill this lacuna, we will conduct a series of experiments to investigate how verbal labels affect tactile perception, especially, at which level of processing low, mid and high-level do they affect Secondly, we will test the hypothesis whether linguistic abilities naming density in native, acquired and combined languages correlate with performance in perceptual tasks in tactile modality. Finally, in a multilingual population, we will study whether the native or acquired language verbal label has differential effects on performance in tactile perceptual tasks.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
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