Naming of an object affects visually-induced tactile impression and emotional valence. An investigation using the tactile onomatopoeia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the naming of an object influences visually induced tactile impression and emotional valence, using tactile sense-related onomatopoeic words for evaluation of tactile impression. The present study focused on how visually induced tactile impression and valence might differ when different names of the same visual texture were presented. In addition, to investigate the relationship between visually induced tactile impression and valence, correlations among change rates of tactile impression and valence induced by the alteration of names were examined. 60 undergraduate students (mean age = 19.55, male = 3, female = 57) participated in the experiment. The results revealed that different tactile impressions and emotional responses were evoked by the same visual texture when different names were presented. Moreover, significant correlations were found between change rates of tactile impression and valence. These results show that visually induced tactile impression and emotion are influenced by top-down semantic processes.