Speech and the Visual Processing of Information

Abstract

In the two preceeding chapters we were concerned with cognitive knowledge structure and its states. We remained largely within the cognitive system, and only occasionally related it to its surroundings. We investigated the verbal communication of these structures and their states only in individual cases. In the introduction to this book, however, we stated our intention of examining the function of various syntactic-stylistic features which “communicate” states of knowledge, in particular by the visual processing of information. To prepare the way for this analysis and a discussion of the verbal communication of these states, we shall now report some findings on the influence of speech on visual perception. Our basic hypothesis here is that speech alters the form and content of our cognitive knowledge structure, and thus can influence the visual processing of information. A prerequisite for such influence is that visual perception be variable. Only if we can see one and the same object in various ways are we able to influence visual perception at all.