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7N.V. Efimenko
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF ASSOCIATIVE COLORITY IN THE LANGUAGES OF DIVERSE SYSTEMS
Keywords: word, text, sound-letter, sound-color correspondences, associative colority, color meaning, psychological structure of color meaning, verbal model, computer program.
Abstract: This research is devoted to the study of the associative structure of word and text color meaning. The consideration is given to the idea of "color filling" in the sound form of the language sign. The analysis of the results of different experiments showing up word and text sound-color correspondences is made. The dynamic nature of psychological structure of sound, word and text color meaning was revealed; the helical model of word and text color image was build and the computer program specially created for automated processing of verbal information in the Russian and English languages was developed in the course of this research.
Ключевые слова: слово, текст, звукобуква, звуко-цветовые соответствия, ассоциативная цветность, цветовое значение, психологическая структура цветового значения, вербальная модель, компьютерная программа.
Аннотация: Данное исследование посвящено изучению ассоциативной структуры цветового значения слова и текста. Рассматривается идея «колористического наполнения» звуковой формы языкового знака, анализируются результаты различных экспериментов по выявлению звуко-цветовых соответствий. В ходе исследования был выявлен динамический характер психологической структуры цветового значения звука, слова и текста; построена спиралевидная модель цветового образа слова и текста и разработана компьютерная программа автоматизированного анализа вербальной информации на русском и английском языках.
The study of human verbal abilities and the problems of linguistic consciousness structure are central to linguistic and psycholinguistic researches. The development of the idea of "color filling" in the sound form of the language sign has found its place amongst the consideration of psycholinguistic phenomenon for sound symbolism. Any form contains some information so there are no vacuous forms at all. The main mechanism of phenomena existence and evolution is matching the form and its content.
Analyzing the associative (psychological) structure of color meaning of Russian sound-letters and investigating interrelation of a sound and its associative color environment, we established the dynamic nature of associative "filling" of a number of Russian sound-letters while carrying out the diachronic analysis and registered the static character of these correlations within a synchronic data slice. We performed the comparative analysis of the experimental results received by different authors and the materials of our experiments that allowed us to mark out 7 sound-letters with partial or full discrepancies in color meaning [1].
In order to confirm the validity of results and experimental integrity the necessary condition is the delayed repeating of the experiment based on identical methods as it was carried out in this research. In the first set of experiments we received and processed 7800 responses, during the verification step - 2600 reactions. A total number of analyzed responses were 10400 associative reactions [Ibid]. We calculated the coincidence frequency for phonosemantic evaluation of sounds and determination of the impact of changes in the color perception of sounds on the word and text color filling by means of the method of statistical analysis (the program of STATISTICA, Version 6, StatSoft). The reliability coefficient of the results was calculated on the basis of the formula proposed by A.P. Zhuravlev [3, p. 40]: Rtt = 2r / (1 + r), where r is the correlation coefficient (according to Carl Pearson) between the rows of the average scores of sounds. In our case, the index of the correlation coefficient (Rtt) was found to be 0.87. The coefficient of Rtt > 0.85 is considered to be sufficient in such measurements [Ibid, p. 53].
The results of verifying experiments on the specification of the defined sound-letters colority and the calculated percentage of repeated coincidence in "color filling" of the selected u nits showed validity of results.
Table № 1 shows highlighted 7 sound-letters which changed their color image: B' (вь) -dark blue ^ light blue; Л' (ль) - dark blue ^ light blue; П - black ^ gray (anthracite); T - black ^ moss green - brown; T' (ть) - blue-white ^ gray-brown; Х - black ^ gray (charcoal); X' (хь) -black ^ gray-green (khaki). The tendency of associative lightening of seven sound-letters was revealed. All other initial units confirmed the original color filling which was revealed in the course
nPOGACMU COfiPCM€HHOrO 0GPn30ttnHHit
of the experiments performed by other researchers (G. N. Ivanova-Lukyanova; A. P. Zhuravlev; L. P. Prokofyeva; M. A. Balash; S.V. Bondar; M. N. Dymshits).
Table № 1
Summary table of the results on sound-color associativity of several Russian sound-letters_
sound color coefficient of coincidence frequency sound color coefficient of coincidence frequency
M blue 43,62 % K' (Kb) vinous (red-brown) 38,09 %
Э yellow-green 49,7 % a blue 31,01%
O white 35,35 % A' (nb) light blue 31,98%
ro purple (red - blue) 37,24 % n grey (anthracite) 41,7 %
y green -blue (soft sea-green) 48 % n' (nb) grey (anthracite) 42,16 %
fl light-red 40,2 % C blue 39 %
H black 39,33 % C' (Cb) turquois (blue - yellow) 47,94 %
E white 47,82 % T moss green - brown 50,7 %
8 blue 49 % T' (Tb) grey - brown 43,43 %
B' (Bb) light blue 30,1 % X grey (charcoal) 55,1 %
r blue 33,33 % X' (Xb) grey - green (khaki) 41,75 %
r (rb) grey (anthracite) 41,3 % Ц yellow 56,7 %
K red 54,7 % m black 43,47 %
It is possible to explain associative colority lightening of the Russian sound-letters through analyzing various modalities of human world perception. In attempts to create a model of surrounding reality and "to draw" a language picture in particular, the individual realizes various dominant representational systems: visual, auditory, kinesthetic and digital. Researchers consider the
first three to be congenital formations; the latter is acquired during the life activities of an individual. Recent studies have found significant changes in the dominance of one or another representational system [9]. Over the last few years the number of people, whose dominant representational system is digital, has considerably increased [8]. Perhaps, changes in associative colority of sound-letters are related to this fact.
In accordance with our experimental results we developed and described the color matrix of Russian sound-letters. When drawing up the color matrix of the English language we used the results of sound-color associativity researches obtained by foreign authors (R. Cytowic, S. Day, E. M. Hubbard, V. S. Ramachandran) and the materials of the experiment with the native English speakers carried out by L. P. Prokofyeva [4].
The performed analysis of theoretical and experimental data permitted the team of authors of the language communication and psycholinguistics department at USATU (T. M. Rogozhnikova, S. A. Voronkov, N. V. Efimenko, R. V. Yakovleva) to develop the software for the automated analysis of word and text sound-color correspondences. The main component of the program includes the color matrixes of the English and Russian language sound-letters.
The program "BARIN" is written in C# language integrated into MicrosoftVisualStudio 2008 processing system. The program code is divided into several modules: the interface module, the general text analysis module aimed at processing any written English or Russian text, the module for determination of the color contents dynamics, the module responsible for the formation of a helical model of the color image of a text, the module for the computer image interpretation of sound-color correlations in a text, the statistics module. With the help of this program it is possible to calculate the sound-letter frequency in English and Russian texts, to present results in a tabulated form, to determine the coloring of a text on the basis of the sound-letter frequency, to present results in graphs and diagrams, to save the necessary file, to implement imagery interpretation of the sound-color correlations in a text with further filing.
This program is intended to be multi-purpose. The automated analysis of sound-color constituent is possible both at the word level and at the level of the text of any type (the Russian and English languages).
One of the functions of "BARIN" program is the construction of the color associative spiral (helical (top view) model of word and text color image in order to highlight kernel and peripheral color values in the individual consciousness of native speakers). This model creation was based on the helical model of semantic development [5, 6, 7]. It should be noted that the helical model of word development worked out by T. M. Rogozhnikova goes with the hypothesis of the prototypes proposed by D. Palermo. If the helical model is seen from above, we get the model in the form of circles diverging from the center where the center is the kernel of the prototype while the circles increasing in diameter consist of peripheral members related both to the kernel and to each other [2]. The universal helical model of the word and text color image displays a monochrome kernel which contains both individual preferences of the text author and the nationally dependent most frequently used sound-letters (kernel area). The multicolor periphery which is characterized by rare, single color reactions is adjacent to the main color of the kernel.
Color is one of the most important senses of perception which accompanies people for all their life and forms a kind of associative field which includes both visual and synesthetically motivated auditory percepts. Thus, color creates a peculiar kind of associative color field generated by sound-letters of the native language. Sound-letters whose color associativity is within the range of significant data (more than 50 % of coincidences) should be located in the kernel of the color field. Sound-letters whose color associativity exceeds the threshold of random coincidences will constitute the periphery (at least 14 %). The sound-letters activity in the kernel (center) of the spiral shows the importance of the corresponding colors for the native speakers and these colors can constitute the main (basic) national color picture of the world.
прослемы современного осрпзоопння
Multicolor periphery containing sporadic associative reactions
Color associative helical model of Russian text "Mechatronics"
Figure 1
Мжатроммкз ' no новой область науки и техники, посвонигая ос
Multicolor periphery containing sporadic associative reactions
Color associative helical model of English text "Mechatronics" Ведущий цвет [ Цветовая спираль | Хцаожественый образ Стаи * *
Figure 2
constructions to the required high degree of accuracy. Also, the design process requires integrating enabling technologies such as information technology and control engineering. A key factor for the design process involves integrating modern microelectronics and the engineering of software into mechanical and electromechanical systems.
_r
Алфавит (+) Английский О Русский
green
moss green
white
By means of new cross functional computer program «BARIN» 148 texts for educational purposes in the Russian and English languages were analyzed. The experimental material was selected from various tutorials on mechatronics. The analyzed texts were not parallel, but similar according to their contents. A yellow-green component is inherent in English educational texts, while a blue-red-white-black one becomes apparent in Russian texts for educational purposes.
The process of modelling of word and text color meaning helps to choose and compose texts "comfortable" for perception and gives the opportunity to improve the text at the phonosemantic level in order to increase its informativity.
The research of interrelation of a sound and its associative color environment, the study of a semantic aspect of this problem allows revealing universal and specific features of color meaning development in order to determine latent informativity and expressivity of any verbal model (word, word combination, utterance, text).
References:
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