Verbal labels improve tactile
texture discrimination ability

Context: According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, language influences perception by

moulding the formation of categories associated with linguistic labels available to its speakers. Experimental studies in visual perception have supported this claim and showed that the perception of colour, time, and space is influenced by linguistic abilities. However, this hypothesis has not been studied extensively in other sensory modalities like tactile perception.

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Objective: We assessed the effects of verbal labels, belonging to two different grammatical categories, on the tactile discrimination of natural textures using an active touch paradigm. 

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Method: Behavioural experiment with randomised control trials using custom device