Meaning-making in the brain has become one of the most intensely discussed topics in cognitive science. Traditional theories on cognition that emphasize abstract symbol manipulations often face a dead end: The symbol grounding problem. The embodiment idea tries to overcome this barrier by assuming that the mind is grounded in sensorimotor experiences. A recent surge in behavioral and brain-imaging studies has therefore focused on the role of the motor cortex in language processing. Concrete, action-related words have received convincing evidence to rely on sensorimotor activation. Abstract concepts, however, still pose a distinct challenge for embodied theories on cognition. Fully embodied abstraction mechanisms were formulated but sensorimotor activation alone seems unlikely to close the explanatory gap. In this respect, the idea of integration areas, such as convergence zones or the ‘hub and spoke’ model, do not only appear like the most promising candidates to account for the discrepancies between concrete and abstract concepts but could also help to unite the field of cognitive science again. The current review identifies milestones in cognitive science research and recent achievements that highlight fundamental challenges, key questions and directions for future research.
Reproducibility is considered a defining feature of science: Trust in scientific discovery and progress are argued to depend on the ability to reproduce previous results. However, recent large-scale replication studies have spurred debate on the reproducibility of scientific findings and suggested that psychology is facing a crisis. The reproducibility of results has been related to current publication practices, which favor sensational and statistically significant results over replication studies. In turn, this skewed incentive system may encourage researchers to engage in questionable research practices, thereby distorting the psychological literature. Important findings and criticisms, as well as potential measures to improve the reproducibility of results, such as preregistered reports, replication studies, and open science, are discussed.
In the original article, I neglected to include the funder (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and (Open Access Publishing Fund of the University of Potsdam) to CG. The author apologizes for this error. This does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. FUNDING This work received financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Open Access Publishing Fund of the University of Potsdam. Conflict of Interest Statement: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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