Temporal dynamics of activation of thematic and functional knowledge during conceptual processing of manipulable artifacts.

Abstract

The current research aimed at specifying the activation time course of different types of semantic information during object conceptual processing and the effect of context on this time course. We distinguished between thematic and functional knowledge and the specificity of functional similarity. Two experiments were conducted with healthy older adults using eye tracking in a word-to-picture matching task. The time course of gaze fixations was used to assess activation of distractor objects during the identification of manipulable artifact targets (e.g., broom). Distractors were (a) thematically related (e.g., dustpan), (b) related by a specific function (e.g., vacuum cleaner), or (c) related by a general function (e.g., sponge). Growth curve analyses were used to assess competition effects when target words were presented in isolation (Experiment 1) and embedded in contextual sentences of different generality levels (Experiment 2). In the absence of context, there was earlier and shorter lasting activation of thematically related as compared to functionally related objects. The time course difference was more pronounced for general functions than specific functions. When contexts were provided, functional similarities that were congruent with context generality level increased in salience with earlier activation of those objects. Context had little impact on thematic activation time course. These data demonstrate that processing a single manipulable artifact concept implicitly activates thematic and functional knowledge with different time courses and that context speeds activation of context-congruent functional similarity.

The Role of Action Representations in Thematic Object Relations

“…Similarly, De Zubicary et al (2013) demonstrated left posterior middle temporal and inferior parietal activation in a functional imaging study in which target pictures to be named were paired with thematically-related distractor words to be ignored. In response to such data, we have proposed that thematic artifact relationship processing may frequently entail implicit activation of sensorimotor representations for using the objects together (Kalénine et al, 2012). The present evidence is compatible with these prior results.…”

“…Some exceptions to this lack of evidence come from a recent eye-tracking study from our laboratory showing that thematic relationships are processed temporally earlier than relationships based on functional similarity (Kalénine et al, 2012). Thus, for example, when asked to locate target objects such as "broom" in an array, participants look more quickly at thematically-related distractors such as "dustpan" than functionally similar distractors such as "sponge," even though other types of (non-action) semantic relatedness were equivalent for these two distractor types.…”

“…Note that in all of these examples, the two objects participate in a common event; however, the events differ in whether there is direct, physical interaction between the objects. Given such differences, few studies have attempted to uncover which types of relationships are most important for determining thematic similarity between objects (but see Kalénine et al, 2009Kalénine et al, , 2012.…”

Visual context modulates potentiation of grasp types during semantic object categorization

“…Consequently, faster object processing may be observed when the features highlighted by response preparation are compatible with one of the actions evoked by the object. At the same time, visual object processing appears to activate action representations, even in tasks not involving a motor response (e.g., Kalénine, Mirman, Middleton, & Buxbaum, 2012; Lee et al, 2013; Myung et al, 2010). Additionally, visual context influences object processing (e.g., Gronau, Neta, & Bar, 2008; Mudrik, Lamy, & Deouell, 2010).…”

Fluid semantics: Semantic knowledge is experience-based and dynamic

“…Other studies using the visual world paradigm have also found that function information becomes active after other, arguably more perceptually grounded, aspects of conceptual knowledge. For instance, knowledge about the thematic relationships that an object can participate in (i. e., the knowledge that a broom is often paired with/seen with a dustpan, or that a steak is paired/seen with a knife), and knowledge about an object's structural characteristics (its shape, size and volume) appear to become available more rapidly and more transiently than information about its function (see Kalénine, Mirman, Middleton & Buxbaum 2012 for thematic relationships and Lee, Middleton, Mirman, Kalénine & Buxbaum 2013 for structural relationships).…”