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Words are not just words: the social acquisition of abstract words
- RIFL - ISSN
, 2012
"... Abstract Language is usually considered as a set of arbitrary symbols that convey subjacent internal concepts. According to this traditional approach words are only words, mere external signals of internal processes. In contrast, we propose that Words are social Tools (WAT). This view allows us addr ..."
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Abstract Language is usually considered as a set of arbitrary symbols that convey subjacent internal concepts. According to this traditional approach words are only words, mere external signals of internal processes. In contrast, we propose that Words are social Tools (WAT). This view allows us address one of the critical problems embodied views face, the problem of how abstract words are acquired and represented. Indeed, we argue that the role of sensorimotor engagement varies depending on the considered domain. In the case of the acquisition of concrete word meanings, categories are grounded primarily in perception and action systems, and linguistic labels contribute in constraining the boundaries of grounded words are more difficult to learn because they activate a much more complex set of situations, objects, human activities and so on. The linguistic labels help us group and assemble this variety of experiences. In addition, diversity of languages has more of an impact on abstract words as opposed to concrete word meaning.
Reconciling Embodied and Distributional Accounts of Meaning in Language
"... Over the past 15 years, there have been two increasingly popular approaches to the study of meaning in cognitive science. One, based on theories of embodied cognition, treats mean-ing as a simulation of perceptual and motor states. An alternative approach treats meaning as a consequence of the stati ..."
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Over the past 15 years, there have been two increasingly popular approaches to the study of meaning in cognitive science. One, based on theories of embodied cognition, treats mean-ing as a simulation of perceptual and motor states. An alternative approach treats meaning as a consequence of the statistical distribution of words across spoken and written language. On the surface, these appear to be opposing scientific paradigms. In this review, we aim to show how recent cross-disciplinary developments have done much to reconcile these two ap-proaches. The foundation to these developments has been the recognition that intra-linguistic distributional and sensory-motor data are interdependent. We describe recent work in philos-ophy, psychology, cognitive neuroscience and computational modeling that are all based on or consistent with this conclusion. We conclude by considering some possible directions for future research that arise as a consequence of these developments. 1
Action and language integration: from humans to cognitive robots.
"... humans to cognitive robots ..."
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Bi-dimensional semantic scales: the embodied maps of meanings* Escala semántica bidimensional: La corporeidad de los mapas de significados
"... a b S t r a c t Osgood developed the semantic differential to bridge the phenomena from semantics and perception, and we applied its modified version to investigate current issues in cognitive science. We used two-dimensional rather than one-dimensional space to position nominal word items, and sub ..."
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a b S t r a c t Osgood developed the semantic differential to bridge the phenomena from semantics and perception, and we applied its modified version to investigate current issues in cognitive science. We used two-dimensional rather than one-dimensional space to position nominal word items, and subjected data to multidimensional scaling (MDS). In Experiment 1 (paper-and-pencil) participants judged concrete and abstract nouns on seven bipolar semantic differential scales in three perceptual modalities: visual, auditory and touch. Six months later, in Experiment 2 (computer-assisted), the same participants mapped the same ten nouns on a balanced subset of two-dimensional planes. Our findings support the hypothesis that semantic space is physically constrained. MDS over one-dimensional ratings from Experiment 1 resulted in a particular two-dimensional solution. This two-dimensional combination was very similar to one of the raw two-dimensional maps from Experiment 2. We then concluded that this particular raw two-dimensional map is highly informative, as it captures almost all differences between word items in the given set of perceptual opposites. Its informativeness proved to be robust to experimental administration (paper-and-pencil vs. computerassisted) and scale-orientations (horizontal vs. vertical). Recent theories, such as Barsalou's perceptual theory of knowledge, capture the tradition of conceptualizing all knowledge as inherently perceptual. Our results strongly support these theories.
Section of Cognitive Neuroscience (editor Stefano Cappa). Elsevier Embodiment theories
"... Abstract Embodied cognition (EC) views propose that cognition is shaped by the kind of body organisms possess. We overview recent literature on EC, highlighting the differences between stronger and weaker versions of the theory. We also illustrate the debates on the notions of simulation, of repres ..."
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Abstract Embodied cognition (EC) views propose that cognition is shaped by the kind of body organisms possess. We overview recent literature on EC, highlighting the differences between stronger and weaker versions of the theory. We also illustrate the debates on the notions of simulation, of representation, and on the role of the motor system for cognition, and we address some of the most important research topics. Future challenges concern the understanding of how abstract concepts and words are represented, and the relationship between EC and other promising approaches, the distributional views of meaning and the extended mind views. Definition of Embodied Cognition Embodied cognition theory (EC) is intended as a response to the increasing dominance of the classic representational and computational theories of mind (RCTM) in cognitive science. Despite many versions of embodied theories, there are however at least two commonalities between all EC approaches. The first is the view that cognitive processes are constrained by perception and motor processes, therefore that the kind of body possessed by organisms shapes their cognition. The second is the refusal of the information processing model of the mind, and of the metaphor of the mind equated with a software which manipulates symbols.
Article Neural Adaptation Effects in Conceptual Processing
"... behavioral sciences ISSN 2076-328X www.mdpi.com/journal/behavsci/ ..."
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In press
"... Acknowledgment. Thanks to the emco-group (www.emco.unibo.it). Special thanks to Felice Cimatti, with whom we first sketched the WAT proposal, to Claudia Scorolli, with whom we refined it in light of experimental evidence, and to Luca Tummolini, with whom we further elaborated it. ..."
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Acknowledgment. Thanks to the emco-group (www.emco.unibo.it). Special thanks to Felice Cimatti, with whom we first sketched the WAT proposal, to Claudia Scorolli, with whom we refined it in light of experimental evidence, and to Luca Tummolini, with whom we further elaborated it.
The Fabric of Thought: Priming Tactile Properties During Reading Influences Direct Tactile Perception
, 2012
"... The present studies examined whether implied tactile properties during language comprehension influence subsequent direct tactile perception, and the specificity of any such effects. Participants read sentences that implicitly conveyed information regarding tactile properties (e.g., Grace tried on a ..."
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The present studies examined whether implied tactile properties during language comprehension influence subsequent direct tactile perception, and the specificity of any such effects. Participants read sentences that implicitly conveyed information regarding tactile properties (e.g., Grace tried on a pair of thick corduroy pants while shopping) that were either related or unrelated to fabrics and varied in implied texture (smooth, medium, rough). After reading each sentence, participants then performed an unrelated rating task during which they felt and rated the texture of a presented fabric. Results demonstrated that the texture properties implied in sentences influence direct tactile percep-tion. Specifically, after reading about a smooth or rough texture, subsequent fabric ratings became notably smoother or rougher, respectively. However, we also show that there was some specificity to these effects: Fabric-related sentences elicited more specific and interactive effects on subsequent ratings. Together, we demonstrate that under certain circumstances, language comprehension can prime tactile representations and affect direct tactile perception. Results are discussed with regard to the nature and scope of multimodal mental simulation during reading.
