Abstract
This is a preparatory report of the study on the cognitive characteristics of color names in the congenitally blind. We conducted following two surveys on fifteen congenital blind persons to measure resemblance among color terms in the congenitally blind: (1) Ten participants were asked to recall color names similar to displayed color names which was also(originally)recalled by the participants. (2) Participants judged the similarities of all pairs of color names corresponding to 16 color names; siro, kuro, aka, ki, midori, ao, tya, murasaki, orange, pink, hai, kon, hada, mizu, sora, kimidori. For each of these names selected from recalled color vocabulary survey. The results show that the characteristics of congenital blind persons' color representations were absence of hue ordering seen in sighted people. Instead of hue ordering, multiple hue groups containing perceptually close color terms were identified; dark, light, warm, cool. This grouping could be explained through categorization process in Kay & McDaniel's modified basic term theory.
