Learning a script with mirrored graphs (e.g., d ≠ b) requires overcoming the evolutionary-old perceptual tendency to process mirror images as equivalent. Thus, breaking mirror invariance offers an important tool for understanding cultural re-shaping of evolutionarily ancient cognitive mechanisms. Here we investigated the role of script (i.e., presence vs. absence of mirrored graphs: Latin alphabet vs. Tamil) by revisiting mirror-image processing by illiterate, Tamil monoliterate, and Tamil-Latin-alphabet bi-literate adults. Participants performed two same-different tasks (one orientation-based, another shape-based) on Latin-alphabet letters. Tamil monoliterate were significantly better than illiterate and showed good explicit mirror-image discrimination. However, only bi-literate adults fully broke mirror invariance: slower shape-based judgments for mirrored than identical pairs and reduced disadvantage in orientation-based over shape-based judgments of mirrored pairs. These findings suggest learning a script with mirrored graphs is the strongest force for breaking mirror invariance.

学习带有镜像图（例如d≠b）的脚本，需要克服将镜像处理为等效图像的​​古老的感知趋势。因此，打破了镜子不变性提供了一个重要的工具，可用于理解进化的古代认知机制的文化重塑。在这里，我们通过回顾文盲，泰米尔文盲和泰米尔-拉丁字母双文盲成年人的镜像处理，研究了脚本的作用（即镜像的存在与否：拉丁字母与泰米尔语）。参与者对拉丁字母执行了两个相同的任务（一个基于方向，另一个基于形状）。泰米尔文盲明显优于文盲，并且表现出良好的显式镜像歧视。但是，只有识字的成年人完全打破了镜像不变性：与相同对相比，对镜像的基于形状的判断要慢一些，而与基于形状的对相比，对基于方向的判断的缺点要小一些。