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Glite Dictionary
visual modality

visual modality

6.6
The sense of seeing and how the eyes send messages to the brain
  • noun
  • /ˈvɪʒuəl məˈdælɪti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : modalidad visual
  • The acoustic modality is more adept with sequentially presented items, whereas the visual modality is more adept at simultaneously presented items.
  • auditory and visual modality

Examples

  • Although we tried to match the three training tasks, fundamental differences between the auditory and visual modalities meant that this was not strictly possible.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The students completed the project in stages, shifting between print and visual modalities as they worked to capture the essence of the important spaces at Greendale (Table 2).

    Academic text (2012)

  • A person focusing on a visual modality will tend to represent their world by making internal pictures.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The difference was negligible in the visual modality, with only a 0.04 margin.

    Academic text (1991)

  • We tested this hypothesis by comparing performance on the auditory and visual modalities of the forward and backward digit span tasks.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Also, CHL, like CNH, could recite back longer strings of digits when presented in the auditory modality than when presented in the visual modality.

    Academic text (2012)

  • With a strong visual modality, she could easily recall scenes from her childhood.

  • Artists often rely on their visual modality to interpret and express their perceptions of the world.

  • In the classroom, using a visual modality helps students understand the material more effectively.

Synonyms

sight
vsvisual modality
538 1.0

The ability to see or an impressive thing you see

is the sensory system or process rather than examples of things observed
vision
vsvisual modality
263 1.0

The ability to see

is the broader sensory system or process that supports that ability
eyesight
vsvisual modality
54 1.0

How well you can see with your eyes

is the broader sensory system or process beyond mere practical ability
visual system
vsvisual modality
  • Specialized
1 4.6

The eyes and parts of the brain that let you see

is the abstract sensory process or faculty, not the physical anatomy
visual sense
vsvisual modality
1 3.2

Being able to see with your eyes

is the larger sensory system or process rather than the single sense
seeing
vsvisual modality
1.0

The ability to use your eyes to notice things

is the sensory system or process underlying that act
visual perception
vsvisual modality
4.1

The ability to see and understand what you look at

is the broader sensory system or faculty, not only the interpretation stage

Antonyms

auditory modality
  • Specialized
5.6

The ability to hear sounds through the ears

Surface Forms

visual modality singular
visual modalities plural

Morphology

visual + modality

The phrase combines 'visual' (related to sight) and 'modality' (a manner or mode of perception) in a directly compositional way, so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the sensory mode of vision. This construction is common across languages (e.g., 'modalidad visual', 'modalité visuelle'), making the meaning immediately transparent to learners.

Etymology

Visual modality names the 'seeing' channel in the body: visual means 'seeing' and modality means a 'way' or 'channel'. So it gives the simple image of a path that brings images to the brain, which is why it refers to the sense or system for sight.