Linguistic vs. tactile experience in object classification

This study explores object conceptualization through linguistic and cognitive testing of frames of reference (FoRs) in 12 sighted (TNA)/blind (BTNA) speakers of Traditional Negev Arabic. FoRs are coordinate systems projected onto spatial arrays to locate any object (Figure, F) in relation to another object (Ground, G). FoRs are object-centered, based on inherent facets of G; ego-centered, based on the coordinates projected by the speaker; or geocentric, based on cardinal directions. TNAs select FoRs based on values culturally attributed to Gs, while cognition is geocentric. BTNA FoRs generally align with TNA, but BTNAs prefer ego-centered over object-centered and geocentric linguistic FoRs with frequent, easily graspable Gs, using ego-centered right/left representations, absent from TNA. In order to distinguish linguistic effects from tactile ones, TNAs and BTNAs were tested for FoRs on novel objects through the tactile channel, showing that BTNAs’ haptic world experience causes linguistic and cognitive choices not apparent in TNAs.