SGER: Assessment of the Representation of Shape in Individuals from a Culture with Minimal Regular Simple Artifacts

在几分之一秒的时间里，在一个单一的一瞥中，我们理解了以前从未遇到过的复杂场景。 这种非凡能力的基础是什么？ 一个著名的形状识别理论认为，物体在记忆中是以简单的、规则的、2D和3D几何形状的排列存在的，如砖、圆锥、圆柱、楔形、圆形和正方形。 看到一个新的场景就是与这些预先准备好的记忆中的基本形状联系起来，这些形状被称为geons。 这种非凡的能力是如何产生的？ 根据一个假设，一个丰富的早期经验与自然延伸的轮廓将是足够的。 另一种假设是，真子来自我们沉浸在一个人造世界的几何学中的早期经验。 来自一个只接触过最少的人造物品的文化的个体会表现出与沉浸在人造物品中的大学生相同的感知吗？ 相反，它们是否对区分高度不规则的形状（如灌木丛、云或山脊）有更高的敏感性？ Biederman博士和Marissa Nederhouser，硕士，将回答后一个问题的调查形状歧视的辛巴。 辛巴人是纳米比亚北方的一个半游牧部落，他们很少接触西方的手工艺品，而且他们的语言中没有任何简单形状的术语（比如列出的一些几何图形）。 尼德豪泽女士将加入一个研究肤色和语言歧视的英国小组。 这项研究有一定的紧迫性，因为纳米比亚政府很快将把旅游业扩大到这个偏远地区，从而增加了对古代世界文物的接触。 这项研究的更广泛影响包括更好地理解基本心理能力的自然多样性。

In a fraction of a second-in a single glance-we comprehend complex scenes never encountered previously. What is the basis of this extraordinary capacity? A prominent theory of shape recognition holds that objects exist in memory as an arrangement of simple, regular, 2D and 3D geometrical shapes, such as bricks, cones, cylinders, wedges, circles, and squares. To see a novel scene is to make contact with these pre-prepared elementary shapes in memory, called geons. How does this extraordinary capacity arise? By one hypothesis, a rich early experience with natural extended contours would be sufficient. An alternative hypothesis is that geons derives from our early experience immersed in the geometry of a manufactured world. Would individuals from a culture with only minimal exposure to manufactured-world artifacts show the same kinds of perception as artifact-immersed college students? Would they, instead, have greater sensitivity for distinguishing among highly irregular shapes, such as bushes, clouds, or mountain ridges? Dr. Biederman and Marissa Nederhouser, M.A., will answer the latter questions in an investigation of shape discrimination by the Himba. The Himba are a semi-nomadic tribe in northern Namibia with minimal exposure to Western artifacts and a language that contains none of the terms for simple shapes (such as those listed for some of the geons). Ms. Nederhouser will be joining a British team studying color and linguistic discriminations. There is some urgency in this research because the Namibian government will soon expand tourism to this remote area, with the consequent increase of exposure to manufactured-world artifacts. Broader impacts of this research include a better understanding of natural diversity in a fundamental mental capability.