<p>The Wiki page on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapheme%E2%80%93color_synesthesia" rel="nofollow">Grapheme–color synesthesia</a> says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>... one recent study has documented a case of synesthesia in which synesthetic associations could be traced back to colored refrigerator magnets.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Wiki points out that this might be an individual case, but let's assume that synesthesia 
is something you can train. Let's further assume that everybody is more or (most of us) less a synesthesist.</p>

<p>Can the level of synesthesia be measured by the following test:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>You are shown a sequence of colored characters, i.e. number and letters, or the characters shown are placed on a colored background. </p></li>
<li><p>After that you are asked to give the sequence.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Should there be a measurable statistical effect in remembering the sequences when they are colored in your specific color scheme?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T00:47:52.383Z
Isn't this a question of the validity of a proposal for a test of whether synesthesia can be found to occur in varying degrees in people, even below the level of conscious awareness? I like the idea, but I don't think one needs to assume in advance that everyone is a synesthesist, let alone that it can be trained.
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:25:31.150Z
@nick if you don't need to assume your synesthety to provide an answer, go ahead...
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:31:02.937Z
Sorry, no, I don't know enough about this to provide an answer; just hoped to help clarify a bit. My intuition is that you could do a test like this, and its outcome wouldn't require those prior assumptions. If I'm right, that would probably make the test even more interesting, because it might then help you test hypotheses about those ideas rather than require that you assume them *a priori*! Unfortunately, I can't really back that up.
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:47:51.527Z
@nick let's see if there are experts around that can help. I thought about coding an app for my tablet to test myself. Any suggestions?
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:50:35.830Z
I only suggest you make it compatible with Android 2+ so I can try it! :D
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:52:18.717Z
@nick ok, if you don't mind the ads...:D
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T21:53:34.530Z
Not if you can make money off 'em! More power to ya!
Nick Stauner
<memory><working-memory><synesthesia>
Is recall for an appropriately color coded string of symbols a good measure of level of synesthesia?
draks ...
# Is recall for an appropriately color coded string of symbols a good measure of level of synesthesia?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-28)

The Wiki page on [Grapheme–color synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapheme%E2%80%93color_synesthesia) says:

> ... one recent study has documented a case of synesthesia in which synesthetic associations could be traced back to colored refrigerator magnets.

Wiki points out that this might be an individual case, but let's assume that synesthesia
is something you can train. Let's further assume that everybody is more or (most of us) less a synesthesist.

Can the level of synesthesia be measured by the following test:

1. You are shown a sequence of colored characters, i.e. number and letters, or the characters shown are placed on a colored background.
2. After that you are asked to give the sequence.

Should there be a measurable statistical effect in remembering the sequences when they are colored in your specific color scheme?

**Tags:** memory, working-memory, synesthesia

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Isn't this a question of the validity of a proposal for a test of whether synesthesia can be found to occur in varying degrees in people, even below the level of conscious awareness? I like the idea, but I don't think one needs to assume in advance that everyone is a synesthesist, let alone that it can be trained.  
> **username_0**: @nick if you don't need to assume your synesthety to provide an answer, go ahead...  
> **username_1**: Sorry, no, I don't know enough about this to provide an answer; just hoped to help clarify a bit. My intuition is that you could do a test like this, and its outcome wouldn't require those prior assumptions. If I'm right, that would probably make the test even more interesting, because it might then help you test hypotheses about those ideas rather than require that you assume them *a priori*! Unfortunately, I can't really back that up.  
> **username_0**: @nick let's see if there are experts around that can help. I thought about coding an app for my tablet to test myself. Any suggestions?  
> **username_1**: I only suggest you make it compatible with Android 2+ so I can try it! :D  
> **username_0**: @nick ok, if you don't mind the ads...:D  
> **username_1**: Not if you can make money off 'em! More power to ya!  

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## 0 answers

