Representing visual recursion does not require verbal or motor resources

Martins, Maurício; Muršič, Zarja; Oh, Jinook; Fitch, W. Tecumseh

doi:10.1016/j.cogpsych.2015.01.004

Cited by 16 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Previous research by our group has shown that the ability to represent recursion is present in the general population in the visuo-spatial domain (Martins, 2012; Martins, Fischmeister, et al, 2014; Martins, Laaha, et al, 2014; Martins et al, 2015). In the current experiment, our goal was to determine whether this ability is also present in the auditory domain.…”

Section: Experiments 1: Can Humans Represent Recursion In the Auditorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this domain, subjects were able to induce recursive rules generating visual fractals, and to use these rules productively. Crucially, this ability was not specifically related with grammar comprehension (Martins, Laaha, et al, 2014), and it neither required verbal resources (Martins et al, 2015), nor generated activation in classical language brain areas (Martins, Fischmeister, et al, 2014). However, performance correlated with an action sequencing task, the Tower of Hanoi, which is best solved using recursive strategies (Martins, Fischmeister, et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Recently, in a series of experiments, human adults and children have also been shown to represent recursion in the visuo-spatial domain (Martins et al, 2014, Martins et al, 2014, Martins et al, 2015). In this domain, subjects were able to induce recursive rules generating visual fractals, and to use these rules productively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, it is still possible that the same cognitive machinery is used to implement recursion in both domains (language and vision), if a domain-general (abstract) code were used instead of a linguistic or verbal one (Martins et al, 2015). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cognitive representation of “musical fractals”: Processing hierarchy and recursion in the auditory domain

et al. 2017

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The human ability to process hierarchical structures has been a longstanding research topic. However, the nature of the cognitive machinery underlying this faculty remains controversial. Recursion, the ability to embed structures within structures of the same kind, has been proposed as a key component of our ability to parse and generate complex hierarchies. Here, we investigated the cognitive representation of both recursive and iterative processes in the auditory domain. The experiment used a two-alternative forced-choice paradigm: participants were exposed to three-step processes in which pure-tone sequences were built either through recursive or iterative processes, and had to choose the correct completion. Foils were constructed according to generative processes that did not match the previous steps. Both musicians and non-musicians were able to represent recursion in the auditory domain, although musicians performed better. We also observed that general ‘musical’ aptitudes played a role in both recursion and iteration, although the influence of musical training was somehow independent from melodic memory. Moreover, unlike iteration, recursion in audition was well correlated with its non-auditory (recursive) analogues in the visual and action sequencing domains. These results suggest that the cognitive machinery involved in establishing recursive representations is domain-general, even though this machinery requires access to information resulting from domain-specific processes.

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Section: Experiments 1: Can Humans Represent Recursion In the Auditorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Cognitive representation of “musical fractals”: Processing hierarchy and recursion in the auditory domain

et al. 2017

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“…Recently, this language-uniqueness view was tested (Martins et al, 2015a) by asking participants to complete a recursive rule-based visual categorization task while performing a phonological working memory task. The verbal task did not interfere with the visual, suggesting that the representation of recursion in vision is not dependent on language domain-specific resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cook

Martins

2018

Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Evolution of Language (Evolang12)

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Recursion in action: An fMRI study on the generation of new hierarchical levels in motor sequences

Martins

Bianco

Sammler

et al. 2019

Human Brain Mapping

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Generation of hierarchical structures, such as the embedding of subordinate elements into larger structures, is a core feature of human cognition. Processing of hierarchies is thought to rely on lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, the neural underpinnings supporting active generation of new hierarchical levels remain poorly understood. Here, we created a new motor paradigm to isolate this active generative process by means of fMRI. Participants planned and executed identical movement sequences by using different rules: a Recursive hierarchical embedding rule, generating new hierarchical levels; an Iterative rule linearly adding items to existing hierarchical levels, without generating new levels; and a Repetition condition tapping into short term memory, without a transformation rule. We found that planning involving generation of new hierarchical levels (Recursive condition vs. both Iterative and Repetition) activated a bilateral motor imagery network, including cortical and subcortical structures. No evidence was found for lateral PFC involvement in the generation of new hierarchical levels. Activity in basal ganglia persisted through execution of the motor sequences in the contrast Recursive versus Iteration, but also Repetition versus Iteration, suggesting a role of these structures in motor short term memory. These results showed that the motor network is involved in the generation of new hierarchical levels during motor sequence planning, while lateral PFC activity was neither robust nor specific. We hypothesize that lateral PFC might be important to parse hierarchical sequences in a multi‐domain fashion but not to generate new hierarchical levels.

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Representing visual recursion does not require verbal or motor resources

Cited by 16 publications

References 52 publications

Cognitive representation of “musical fractals”: Processing hierarchy and recursion in the auditory domain

Cognitive representation of “musical fractals”: Processing hierarchy and recursion in the auditory domain

How domain-specific is merge?

Recursion in action: An fMRI study on the generation of new hierarchical levels in motor sequences

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