Transcript Heinz Werner

Physiognomic Perception
Heinz Werner 1890- 1964
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Born and raised in Vienna, Austria
Loved Music at a young age and entered college to become a
composer and music historian
Switched his major to philosophy and psychology
Wrote dissertation on the psychology of aesthetic enjoyment
1917 joined Physiological Institute at Hamburg to participate in Gestalt
Psychology
1926 published the first edition of his famous book Comparative
Psychology of Mental Development
Came to U.S. and became a research psychologist in Michigan,
working with developmentally delayed and brain injured children.
Went onto Brooklyn College as a teacher
1947 ended up at Clark University where he finished out his career
Key Words
• Physiognomic Perception
– we perceive stimuli physiognmically when we
react to their dynamic, emotional, and
expressive qualities.
• Geometrical-technical perception
– perceiving objects in terms of shape, length,
hue, width, and other objective, measurable
objects.
• Synesthesia
– syncratic unity of the senses.
• Intersensory Experiences
– when various senses influence one another
through general bodily feeling.
Theory
Werner believed that intersensory experiences
exist prior to differentiation of the senses into
separate modalities. If so, synesthesia would
be especially prominent in children.
Three Domains
• Indigenous people
• Contemporary western adults in states
of psychosis or under hallucinogens.
• Domain of the Artist
Research Project
• Using Werner’s theories we created our own
research project involving music and children’s
ability to perceive and express their feelings of music
through their drawings.
• Three genres of music : Classical, Techno, Rock
• Second and Fourth graders drew pictures using a
variety of colored crayons.
• Colors included: Purple, Orange, Light Blue,
Dark Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Black, and
Brown
Setting
• Holy Family of Nazareth School
• 13 Second Grade Students (Ages 7-8)
• 7 Girls
• 6 Boys
• 16 Fourth Grade Students (Ages 10-11)
• 9 Boys
• 7 Girls
Questions
1. Does Werner’s theory of physiognomic
perception hold true even with children
today?
2. Will second grade students respond more
emotionally to music than fourth graders?
Will it be apparent in their drawings?
3. Will there be a clear distinction in their
choices of color as a result of the music
that is being played?
Hypotheses
• Children today will still have the same
physiognomic perception as children would
have as explained in Werner’s theories.
• Second graders will be unable to differentiate
senses into separate modalities, therefore
their intersensory experiences will be
developmentally primitive to fourth graders.
Classical––Second
FourthGrade
Classical
Grade
Techno –– Second
Fourth Grade
Techno
Grade
Rock–– Second
Fourth Grade
Rock
Grade
Second Grade
9
8
7
6
5
Classical
4
3
2
1
0
Techno
Color
Classical
Techno
Rock
Purple
3
2
6
Orange
2
4
8
Light Blue
7
1
6
Dark Blue
2
3
3
Red
6
4
6
Yellow
2
5
2
Green
4
0
3
Black
8
8
6
Brown
2
2
5
Rock
Fourth Grade
14
12
10
Color
Classica
l
Techno
Rock
Purple
4
7
7
Orange
4
8
7
Light Blue
7
6
8
Dark Blue
7
6
8
Red
6
4
7
Yellow
9
6
8
Green
5
4
5
Black
11
9
12
Brown
10
3
7
8
Classical
6
Techno
Rock
4
2
0
Hayden, Age 10
Marrianne, Age 8
Comparison
Second Grade
9
8
Fourth Grade
14
12
7
10
6
8
5
4
3
Classical
Classical
6
Techno
Techno
Rock
Rock
4
2
1
0
2
0
Results and Conclusions
• Overall, second graders had more variety
in their colors than fourth graders and
these colors match up more consistently
with the specific genre of music.
• Although the variation of colors between
second and fourth graders is slim, it should
widen if there was a larger group of
students to observe.
Werner, right or wrong?
• Werner is right…
• Second graders have a
more noticeable sense of
physiognomic perception
than fourth graders.
• Indigenous people?
Things to do Differently
• Work individually so as to avoid
discussion and “cheating”
• Change the spectrum of colors
• Test a wider range of children
• Ensure the use of colors, rather than just
drawing with black
Nature vs Nurture
“Werner’s biological model is that of
a maturationist (Baldwin 1980), but
if we look to Werner for a clear
statement, we look in vain.”
Nature
W
e
r
n
e
r
Nurture