The Influence of Language on Color Perception

Jingxuan Xu

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.HT25744

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

The Influence of Language on Color Perception

Research Article

Open Access

The Influence of Language on Color Perception

Jingxuan Xu ^1*

¹ Shueyan University

^*Corresponding author: jingxuan200604@163.com

Published on 6 August 2025

CHR Vol.75

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-317-8

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-318-5

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Abstract

Language serves as a basic tool for human cognition, and its impact on sensory perception has been a topic of interest in psychological research for a long time. So this paper explores the complex relationship between language and color perception from the perspective of psycholinguistics. This study aims to explore the influence of language on color perception, including verifying the neural mechanism of language shaping color cognition, analyzing the perceptual differences between cross-cultural and bilingual groups, so as to provide a basis for education, design and other fields, and finally reveal the active role of language in color perception. Through the classic theories (such as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis) and literature analysis(including cross-linguistic color naming, color discrimination experiments, and neuroimaging research), this paper finds that it not only affects human color classification and memory, but it also interacts with cultural and individual factors to shape color perception.

Keywords:

Color Perception, Linguistic Relativity, Categorical Perception, Cross-Cultural Cognition, Neuropsychology

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References

[1]. Palmer, S. E. (1999). Color, consciousness, and the isomorphism constraint. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 22(6), 923-943.

[2]. Dougherty, R. F., Koch, V. M., Brewer, A. A., Fischer, B., Modersitzki, J., & Wandell, B. A. (2003). Visual field representations and locations of visual areas V1/2/3 in human visual cortex. Journal of vision, 3(10), 1-1.

[3]. Berlin, B., & Kay, P. (1991). Basic color terms: Their universality and evolution. Univ of California Press.

[4]. Kay, P., & Regier, T. (2003). Resolving the question of color naming universals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(15), 9085-9089.

[5]. Roberson, D., Davies, I., & Davidoff, J. (2000). Color categories are not universal: replications and new evidence from a stone-age culture. Journal of experimental psychology: General, 129(3), 369.

[6]. Heider, E. R., & Olivier, D. C. (1972). The structure of the color space in naming and memory for two languages. Cognitive psychology, 3(2), 337-354.

[7]. Martin, A., & Chao, L. L. (2001). Semantic memory and the brain: structure and processes. Current opinion in neurobiology, 11(2), 194-201.

[8]. Mo, L., Xu, G., Kay, P., & Tan, L. H. (2011). Electrophysiological evidence for the left-lateralized effect of language on preattentive categorical perception of color. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(34), 14026-14030.

[9]. Eckhardt, G. M., & Houston, M. J. (2002). Cultural paradoxes reflected in brand meaning: McDonald's in Shanghai, China. Journal of International Marketing, 10(2), 68-82.

References

[1]. Palmer, S. E. (1999). Color, consciousness, and the isomorphism constraint. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 22(6), 923-943.

[3]. Berlin, B., & Kay, P. (1991). Basic color terms: Their universality and evolution. Univ of California Press.

[4]. Kay, P., & Regier, T. (2003). Resolving the question of color naming universals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(15), 9085-9089.

[6]. Heider, E. R., & Olivier, D. C. (1972). The structure of the color space in naming and memory for two languages. Cognitive psychology, 3(2), 337-354.

[7]. Martin, A., & Chao, L. L. (2001). Semantic memory and the brain: structure and processes. Current opinion in neurobiology, 11(2), 194-201.

[9]. Eckhardt, G. M., & Houston, M. J. (2002). Cultural paradoxes reflected in brand meaning: McDonald's in Shanghai, China. Journal of International Marketing, 10(2), 68-82.

Cite this article

Xu,J. (2025). The Influence of Language on Color Perception. Communications in Humanities Research,75,35-39.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Consciousness and Cognition in Language Acquisition and Literary Interpretation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-317-8(Print) / 978-1-80590-318-5(Online)

Editor: Yanhua Qin, Enrique Mallen

Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Huntsville.html

Conference date: 17 September 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.75

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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