Coming of age: A review of embodiment and the neuroscience of semantics

Meteyard, Lotte; Cuadrado, Sara Rodriguez; Bahrami, Bahador; Vigliocco, Gabriella

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2010.11.002

Cited by 604 publications

(538 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…The traditional model, borne out of early aphasiology research, functionally locates language in a network comprised of inferior frontal and superior temporal areas of the left hemisphere, with the former in charge of speech production and grammatical processing, and the latter subserving comprehension and perception of language (Geschwind 1970;Ojemann 1991). However, subsequent neuroimaging studies have drawn into question this model by showing that linguistic -and in particular semanticprocessing appears to be linked to activation of neural circuits outside of the "core system" including what has always been considered as modality-specific areas (such as motor, auditory, or visual cortices; see e.g., Binder & Desai 2011;Boulenger et al 2012;Meteyard et al 2010). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary motor cortex functionally contributes to language comprehension: An online rTMS study

et al. 2017

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ABSTRACT:Among various questions pertinent to grounding human cognitive functions in a neurobiological substrate, the association between language and motor brain structures is a particularly debated one in neuroscience and psychology. While many studies support a broadly distributed model of language and semantics grounded, among other things, in the general modality-specific systems, theories disagree as to whether motor and sensory cortex activity observed during language processing is functional or epiphenomenal. Here, we assessed the role of motor areas in linguistic processing by investigating the responses of 28 healthy volunteers to different word types in semantic and lexical decision tasks, following repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of primary motor cortex. We found that early rTMS (delivered within 200 ms of word onset) produces a left-lateralised and meaning-specific change in reaction speed, slowing down behavioural responses to action-related words, and facilitating abstract words -an effect present only during semantic, but not lexical, decision. We interpret these data in light of action-perception theory of language, bolstering the claim that motor cortical areas play a functional role in language comprehension.2

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary motor cortex functionally contributes to language comprehension: An online rTMS study

et al. 2017

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“…This challenge has become particularly topical in recent years, due in large part to the development of embodied and grounded theories of cognition (e.g. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]). In the past few years a number of embodied proposals have been advanced, aiming to show that abstract concepts are grounded in the sensorimotor system, like concrete concepts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain

Borghi

Barca

Binkofski

et al. 2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

100

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One contribution of 23 to a theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'. The capacity for abstract thought is one of the hallmarks of human cognition. However, the mechanisms underlying the ability to form and use abstract concepts like 'fantasy' and 'grace' have not been elucidated yet. This theme issue brings together developmental, social and cognitive psychologists, linguists, anthropologists, cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, philosophers and computer scientists to present theoretical insights and novel evidence on how abstract concepts are acquired, used and represented in the brain. Many of the contributions conceive concepts as grounded in sensorimotor systems and constrained by bodily mechanisms and structures. The theme issue develops along two main axes, related to the most promising research directions on abstract concepts. The axes focus on (i) the different kinds of abstract concepts (numbers, emotions, evaluative concepts like moral and aesthetic ones, social concepts); (ii) the role played by perception and action, language and sociality, and inner processes (emotions, interoception, metacognition) in grounding abstract concepts. Most papers adopt a cognitive science/neuroscience approach, but the theme issue also includes studies on development, on social cognition, and on how linguistic diversity shapes abstract concepts. Overall, the theme issue provides an integrated theoretical account that highlights the importance of language, sociality and inner processes for abstract concepts, and that offers new methodological tools to investigate them.This article is part of the theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'.

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“…The meaning of words is grounded in perception and action, as illustrated in recent years by the substantial literature within the embodiment research framework (for a review see Meteyard, Cuadrado, Bahrami, & Vigliocco, 2012). When we read words with strong sensory meanings we recruit the perceptual system to aid in comprehension, reflecting socalled Bmental simulation^(e.g., Barsalou, 1999;Glenberg & Kaschak, 2002;Stanfield & Zwaan, 2001).…”

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confidence: 99%

Dutch modality exclusivity norms: Simulating perceptual modality in space

Speed

Majid

2017

Behav Res

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Perceptual information is important for the meaning of nouns. We present modality exclusivity norms for 485 Dutch nouns rated on visual, auditory, haptic, gustatory, and olfactory associations. We found these nouns are highly multimodal. They were rated most dominant in vision, and least in olfaction. A factor analysis identified two main dimensions: one loaded strongly on olfaction and gustation (reflecting joint involvement in flavor), and a second loaded strongly on vision and touch (reflecting joint involvement in manipulable objects). In a second study, we validated the ratings with similarity judgments. As expected, words from the same dominant modality were rated more similar than words from different dominant modalities; but -more importantly -this effect was enhanced when word pairs had high modality strength ratings. We further demonstrated the utility of our ratings by investigating whether perceptual modalities are differentially experienced in space, in a third study. Nouns were categorized into their dominant modality and used in a lexical decision experiment where the spatial position of words was either in proximal or distal space. We found words dominant in olfaction were processed faster in proximal than distal space compared to the other modalities, suggesting olfactory information is mentally simulated as Bclose^to the body. Finally, we collected ratings of emotion (valence, dominance, and arousal) to assess its role in perceptual space simulation, but the valence did not explain the data. So, words are processed differently depending on their perceptual associations, and strength of association is captured by modality exclusivity ratings.

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Coming of age: A review of embodiment and the neuroscience of semantics

Cited by 604 publications

References 97 publications

Primary motor cortex functionally contributes to language comprehension: An online rTMS study

Primary motor cortex functionally contributes to language comprehension: An online rTMS study

Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain

Dutch modality exclusivity norms: Simulating perceptual modality in space

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