ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

›› 2012, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (4): 514-522.

• 研究前沿 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Cognitive Processing Models of Synesthesia and Its Neuropsychological Mechanisms

LIU Si-Yun   

  1. (Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU); Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430074, China)
  • Received:2011-07-14 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:2012-04-15 Published:2012-04-15
  • Contact: LIU Si-Yun

Abstract: Synesthesia is the simultaneous perception of different senses. There are strong synesthesia and weak synesthesia, with the former referring to explicit consciousness of a second sense perception and the latter to implicit feelings evoked by word descriptions of cross-modal sensories. Previous studies have found different types of strong synesthesia and provided evidence for many of these types by presenting various related activated brain areas. Reserachers attemped to explain the brain mechanisms of strong synesthesia by suggesting several corresponding theorietical models from the perspectives of either brain structure or cognitive processing. Furthermore, this article also reviewed the relationship between strong synesthesia and other cognitive processes (e.g., attention, memory, creation), discussed the current research status about weak synesthesia, and suggested the future research trend in synesthesia.

Key words: (strong/weak)synesthesia, synesthetic models, synesthetic metaphor