Sex differences, sense modality, and production of original verbal images.

Abstract

A recent study (Khatena, 1976) on the use of several sense modaliries in the production of original verbal images showed that college adults tended to use the visual, auditory or combined visual and auditory senses most frequently and that they showed preference for the use of multiple sense modalities, i.e., combination of two or more senses. The purpose of this study was to identify sex differences. From 650 college adults (300 men and 350 women) who had been administered Form 2A of Onomatopoeia and Images (Khatena & Torrance, 1973) random sample of 50 men and 50 women's response sheets were selected. Onomatopoeia and Images is measure of original verbal images and was the measure used in the earlier study on sense modalities. Verbal images produced in response to onomatopeic words were analyzed for the seven sense modalities of the Betts scale (Sheehan. 1967), i.e., visual, auditory, cutaneous, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory, and organic, either singly or in combination. For example, in response to rumble the verbal image thunder produced shows the use of single sense modality (auditory) as distinct from a car taking off at stop light (auditory-visual-kinesthetic) where multiple sense modalities were used. Analysis of the sense modalities used by both men and women in the production of original verbal images showed the auditory mode as most frequently used (Men: A1 = 7.36, SD = 3.82; Women: M = 7.16, SD = 3.01). Of the combined sense modalities used by both groups the auditory-visual was most frequenrly used (Men: hl = 5.20, SD = 3.88; Women: M = 4.64, SD = 3.67), and this is consistent with earlier findings. In addition. the auditory-kinesthetic modalities combined (Men: M = 2.92. SD = 2.53; Women: M = 2.84, SD = 2.38) and the auditory-visual-kinesthetic modalities combined (Men: M = 2.92, SD = 3.02; Women: M = 3.12, SD = 2.64) were the next frequenrly used. The single sense modality was preferred over multiple sense modalities in the production of original verbal images by both men and women. In this respect, this finding differs with that of the earlier study which indicated preference for use of multiple over single sense modalities. A 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance design gave no significant differences for sex and sense modality or for their interaction. These results suggest that college men and women do not differ significantly in their use of various single or multiple sense modalities and that the use of the auditory and auditory-visual modalities combined in the production of original verbal images seems to be most noticeable in this study. In addition, these adults prefer to use the auditory-kinesthetic and auditory-visual-kinesthetic modalities when they produce original verbal images.