Perky effect

Named after Cheves Perky (1874–1940), American psychologist, who carried out a related experiment in which subjects were asked to visualize various objects on a screen while, unknown to them, very faint patches of color resembling these objects were projected onto the screen.

Perky effect (plural Perky effects)

1. The phenomenon whereby sensory input, or perceptions, can be mistaken for a mental image when perceptual processes and mental imagery interfere with each other.
   • 2007, Monica Gonzalez-Marquez, Methods in Cognitive Linguistics, page 286:

     If Perky effects like these are indeed indicative of visual imagery making use of the same neural resources recruited for actual vision, then they can naturally be extended to language processing.