Figure 6. Primary results from Studies 2a and 2b.

A) The word cloud visualizes the most common free-response labels given to the alien’s mental states, with more frequent words appearing in larger text. Higher transition probabilities predicted higher transition ratings in both Study 2a (B) and Study 2b (C). Thin lines represent participant level regressions between these variables, controlling for visual color similarity. The thick lines represent the mean slope, surrounded by a 95% bootstrap confidence interval. D) Colors reliably predicted valence ratings in Studies 2a and 2b. The distribution of valence is shown via violin plots, with raw ratings ranging from the most positive (+50) to most negative (−50) possible values. The large white circles indicate the median for each color. E) In both studies, outright majorities of participants correctly indicated that the number of states the alien had matched the number of attractors in the state space (four).