Synaesthesia and Individual Differences

Description

Synaesthesia is a fascinating cognitive phenomenon where one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another. For example, synaesthetes might perceive colours when listening to music, or tastes in the mouth when reading words. This book provides an insight into the idiosyncratic nature of synaesthesia by exploring its relationships with other dimensions of individual differences. Many characteristics of linguistic-colour synaesthetes are covered including personality, temperament, intelligence, creativity, emotionality, attention, memory, imagination, colour perception, body lateralization and gender. Aleksandra Maria Rogowska proposes that linguistic-colour synaesthesia can be considered as an abstract form of a continuous variable in the broader context of cross- and intra-modal associations. There has been a resurgence of interest in synaesthesia and this book will appeal to students and scientists of psychology, cognitive science and social science, and to those who are fascinated by unusual states of mind.

Aleksandra Maria Rogowska is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy at Politechnika Opolska, Poland. Her research centres on synaesthesia but also includes the psychology of sport, art and addiction. Her work focuses on developmental paths for young adults, in particular undergraduate students.

'A deep and thorough scrutiny of linguistic-colour synaesthesia which really does make for a fascinating read. I am an expert on the topic of synaesthesia and I learned a great deal!' Peter Grossenbacher, Director, Consciousness Laboratory, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado 'This unassuming book is only understated on the outside; packed between the covers is a wealth of information, both compilations of previous research and new findings. Aleksandra Maria Rogowska ambitiously sets out to blaze new paths into many different aspects of individual differences as they relate to synesthesia ... the book is exhaustively researched and provides a lucid and useful review of each of the variables under examination and the tests used to measure them. As such, it is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in individual differences, as it frames synesthesia as a trait co-occurring with a variety of other measures.' Jennifer Mankin, Perception 'The scope of Rogowska's book is expansive, and I can certainly see researchers from many fields gaining insight from this book. It is not always evident how accessible the material will be for nonspecialists, but overall, Rogowska has made a convincing case for the need to investigate synaesthesia's connection to personality, temperament, and other individual characteristics.' Carolyn Purnell, The American Journal of Psychology