<p>Most descriptions of visual perception explain how our brains interpret incoming visual stimuli (via feature detection, monocular depth cues, etc.). They then assume that the same process works for interpreting drawings, by which I mean 2D illustrations of objects.</p>

<p>However, there seem to be some cultural differences in the way 2D images are interpreted: for example, the fact that less "literate"/"developed" cultures perform better with the Muller-Lyer illusion (as mentioned <a href="https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/12/26/cultural-differences-in-cognitive-perception/" rel="noreferrer">here</a>).</p>

<p>Taking this idea further, my parents, who lived in a rural area in India, knew one person who had never encountered pictures and couldn't interpret them. It wasn't in her culture. If one showed her a picture of a pig, she wouldn't be able to make out it was a pig, or even an animal. To her, it was just a set of lines on a sheet of paper. I know that story is anecdotal, and several things are unclear (such as whether it worked for photographs vs illustrations, etc.). However, my question is: Is this possible?</p>

<p>Is the ability to interpret drawings a universal one, or is it a skill that (most) people acquire the same way as language or writing? Is there any research on this topic I can read up on?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-25T22:58:13.393Z
Your parent's description of the person reminds me of someone with visual agnosia. Take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosia#Visual_agnosia
Justas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-26T12:47:33.710Z
That's a possibility! And thanks, now I know which region of the brain to focus on . I'm wondering, to what extent is interpreting drawings a learned activity? For example, it took some "practice" before I could easily understand manga-style drawings—so is that a higher-level case, fine-tuning for certain styles/art-forms, or would people have to "learn to see" drawings (eg. exposure in childhood) to be able to see **any** drawings at all?
Hippo
<perception><learning><vision><cross-cultural-psychology>
Is the perception of drawings an acquired skill?
Hippo
# Is the perception of drawings an acquired skill?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-25)

Most descriptions of visual perception explain how our brains interpret incoming visual stimuli (via feature detection, monocular depth cues, etc.). They then assume that the same process works for interpreting drawings, by which I mean 2D illustrations of objects.

However, there seem to be some cultural differences in the way 2D images are interpreted: for example, the fact that less "literate"/"developed" cultures perform better with the Muller-Lyer illusion (as mentioned [here](https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/12/26/cultural-differences-in-cognitive-perception/)).

Taking this idea further, my parents, who lived in a rural area in India, knew one person who had never encountered pictures and couldn't interpret them. It wasn't in her culture. If one showed her a picture of a pig, she wouldn't be able to make out it was a pig, or even an animal. To her, it was just a set of lines on a sheet of paper. I know that story is anecdotal, and several things are unclear (such as whether it worked for photographs vs illustrations, etc.). However, my question is: Is this possible?

Is the ability to interpret drawings a universal one, or is it a skill that (most) people acquire the same way as language or writing? Is there any research on this topic I can read up on?

**Tags:** perception, learning, vision, cross-cultural-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Your parent's description of the person reminds me of someone with visual agnosia. Take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosia#Visual_agnosia  
> **username_0**: That's a possibility! And thanks, now I know which region of the brain to focus on . I'm wondering, to what extent is interpreting drawings a learned activity? For example, it took some "practice" before I could easily understand manga-style drawings—so is that a higher-level case, fine-tuning for certain styles/art-forms, or would people have to "learn to see" drawings (eg. exposure in childhood) to be able to see **any** drawings at all?  

---

## 0 answers

