Social cognition: making sense of people. Ziva Kunda (Ed.). A Bradford Book, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1999. No. of pages 602. ISBN-0262-61143-0. Price: $32.95

✍ Scribed by M. Kimberly MacLin

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 30 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0888-4080
• DOI: 10.1002/acp.954

✦ Synopsis

A potential reader might wonder if, after the groundwork has been laid by Dr Cytowic, some sort of comprehensive theory of synesthesia might be presented. In fact, the author does seem to present two 'theories' of synesthesia. The first, 'The Transmodal Binding Model of Synesthesia,' is given at the end of chapter six. Although this subsection is by no means concise, it does a fairly convincing job of suggesting that intersensory binding (i.e. synesthesia) is not due to abnormal, local connections between neighbouring areas in the brain. Rather, synesthesia may rely on some sort of heightened binding in a normally occurring, transmodal physiological entity (e.g. the limbic system, the insula, or the claustrum). Dr Cytowic is also very clear that more research needs to be done before any firm conclusions can be made. After putting forth this model, it is never explicitly mentioned again for the remaining three chapters in the book. However, the final section of the last chapter discusses the theory of microgenesis. After several digressions, the final subsection is titled 'A Microgenetic Explanation of Different Types of Synesthesia;' however, it does not make any explicit links to content already presented. The microgenesis explanation seems to suggest that synesthetes become aware of intermediate stages of object processing. (That is my interpretation, because the nuts and bolts of how microgenesis explains synesthesia are not clearly laid out.) Because Dr Cytowic again, albeit briefly, mentions the limbic system in this subsection, a reader might wonder if the Transmodal Binding Model could dovetail with the microgenesis theory. If it does, Dr Cytowic is leaving the synthesis to the reader.

All in all, while there are a few interesting and well-written sections in this book, for the most part it requires more effort by the reader than it pays off in the end. Further, other than the fascinating first-hand descriptions of synesthetes' experiences, this is definitely not light reading, even for those with strong perception and physiological backgrounds.