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In:Progress in Colour Studies: Cognition, language and beyond
Edited by Lindsay W. MacDonald, Carole P. Biggam and Galina V. Paramei
[Not in series 217] 2018
► pp. 425–439

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Chapter 14
Black and white linguistic category entrenchment in English

 | University of Perugia, Italy
Published online: 26 November 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/z.217.14san
Abstract
The objective of this chapter is to discuss the cognitive entrenchment of the linguistic categories black and white in association with pleasant and unpleasant in English through a semantic application of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). This study continues earlier linguistic research of implicit associations with basic-color-term couples. The results reveal the cognitive entrenchment of the categories and support the hypothesis that there are underlying conceptualization processes that guide semantic color/object associations. The embodied experiential grounding of darkness/night and lightness/day as the basis for our understanding of black and white emerges with the elaboration of a complex of conceptual metaphors that culminates in knowing is seeing (good is seeing) – experiential motivation of language and thought.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The Implicit Association Test
    • 2.1Cognitive entrenchment
    • 2.2The paradigm
    • 2.3The IAT structure
      • 2.3.1The basic color targets
      • 2.3.2The test blocks
    • 2.4Parameters of evaluation
    • 2.5Criticism of the IAT paradigm
  • 3.Methodology, results, and discussion
    • 3.1Methodology
      • 3.1.1The IAT stimuli
    • 3.2B&W IAT 1 results
    • 3.3B&W IAT 2 results
    • 3.4Discussion
      • 3.4.1Conceptual metaphor
      • 3.4.2Guiding conceptualization patterns with good is white – bad is black
      • 3.4.3The metaphor complex
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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