Towards Strong Inference in Research on Embodiment – Possibilities and Limitations of Causal Paradigms

Ostarek, Markus; Bottini, Roberto

doi:10.5334/joc.139

Cited by 35 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 135 publications

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“…Given the mixed findings about the functional role of sensorimotor systems for conceptual processing (Mahon, 2015;Ostarek & Bottini, 2021;Ostarek & Huettig, 2019), we believe the present study may exemplify a way of operating that will lead to more solid theoretical progress.…”

Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The field of embodiment research has known a thriving theoretical discussion about what kind of experimental evidence supports which views (Mahon & Caramazza, 2008;Ostarek & Bottini, 2021;Ostarek & Huettig, 2019; see also Mahon, 2015 and contributions to that special issue).…”

Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, we should revise the empirical foundations for different theoretical tenets by focusing efforts on high-powered pre-registrations of paradigms that warrant strong inference (Platt, 1964); that is, experiments that both proponents and opponents agree provide strong evidence either in favour or against a role of sensorimotor systems in highlevel processing. This may mean researchers need to move away from patient studies, in which small sample sizes are often unavoidable, and focus their efforts on interference studies with healthy individuals that test the causal role of the sensorimotor systems (Ostarek & Bottini, 2021).…”

Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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No evidence for embodiment: The motor system is not needed to keep action words in working memory

Montero-Melis¹,

Paridon²,

Ostarek³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Increasing evidence implicates the sensorimotor systems with high-level cognition, but the extent to which these systems play a functional role remains debated. Using an elegant design, Shebani and Pulvermüller (2013) reported that carrying out a demanding rhythmic task with the hands led to selective impairment of working memory for hand-related words (e.g., clap), while carrying out the same task with the feet led to selective memory impairment for foot-related words (e.g., kick). Such a striking double dissociation is acknowledged even by critics to constitute strong evidence for an embodied account of working memory. Here, we report on an attempt at a direct replication of this important finding. We followed a sequential sampling design and stopped data collection at N=77 (more than five times the original sample size), at which point the evidence for the lack of the critical selective interference effect was very strong (BF01 = 91). This finding constitutes strong evidence against a functional contribution of the motor system to keeping action words in working memory. Our finding fits into the larger emerging picture in the field of embodied cognition that sensorimotor simulations are neither required nor automatic in high-level cognitive processes, but that they may play a role depending on the task. Importantly, we urge researchers to engage in transparent, high-powered, and fully pre-registered experiments like the present one to ensure the field advances on a solid basis.

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Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How To Move Forward: Run High-powered Pre-registrations Of the Most Informative Experimental Designsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

No evidence for embodiment: The motor system is not needed to keep action words in working memory

Montero-Melis¹,

Paridon²,

Ostarek³

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…Dakle, i percepcija i perceptivna simulacija koriste isti reprezentacijski format, što je u skladu s postavkama teorije sustava perceptivnih simbola. S druge strane, opisani se nalazi mogu interpretirati i kao posljedica interakcija unutar amodalitetnoga semantičkog modula koji povezuje informacije ekstrahirane iz vidnoga modaliteta i iz rečenice (Ostarek i Bottini, 2021;Ostarek i sur., 2019). Pritom apstraktna informacijska sukladnost između slike i rečenice dovodi do efikasnijega procesiranja, a ne sukladnost percepcije i perceptivne simulacije.…”

Section: Procesunclassified

Uloga utjelovljenja u razumijevanju pojmova

Beg

2021

Psihol. teme (Online)

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Jedno je od središnjih pitanja kognitivne znanosti kako su pojmovi reprezentirani u ljudskome umu. Klasični je odgovor na to pitanje pretpostavka o odvojenome semantičkome modulu u kojemu je znanje pohranjeno putem apstraktnih simboličkih reprezentacija. Tako opisan semantički modul odvojen je od drugih sustava kao što su moduli za percepciju i motoriku. U posljednjih dvadesetak godina intenzivno se istražuje i razvija alternativni pristup poznat pod nazivom utjelovljena ili utemeljena spoznaja koji polazi od pretpostavke da je pojmovno znanje u stalnoj interakciji s percepcijom i motorikom, odnosno da je ukorijenjeno u njima putem mehanizma perceptivne simulacije. Cilj je ovoga rada dati pregled različitih teorijskih perspektiva na utjelovljenu spoznaju i evaluirati ih. Detaljno su prikazane teorija sustava perceptivnih simbola, model prožetoga iskustvenika i indeksna hipoteza te empirijski nalazi koji im idu ili ne idu u prilog. Zatim su prikazane i kritike utjelovljene spoznaje koje se odnose na razumijevanje apstraktnih pojmova, kao i odgovori na te kritike. Razmotrena je i ideja o stupnjevima ili kontinuumu utjelovljenja. Nakraju su dane smjernice za daljnja istraživanja koja bi trebala rasvijetliti točnu ulogu utjelovljenja u reprezentaciji znanja.

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“…Results of FC-related studies are frequently considered an instance of embodied numerical cognition (e.g., Domahs, Moeller, Huber, Willmes, & Nuerk, 2010;Fischer, 2012;Sixtus, Fischer, & Lindemann, 2017;Wołoszyn & Hohol, 2017). According to this approach, in a nutshell, our bodily interactions play non-trivial causal roles in higher cognition (Barsalou, 2008(Barsalou, , 2020Ostarek & Bottini, 2021), including the processes involved in the mathematical activity (Fischer, Felisatti, Kulkova, Mende, & Miklashevsky, 2021;Hohol, 2020;Lakoff & Núñez, 2000). Thus, the impact of FC reaches beyond facilitative role, e.g., through offloading working memory resources Wiese, 2004).…”

Section: Finger Counting and Numerical Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No fingers, no SNARC? Neither the finger counting starting hand, nor its stability robustly affect the SNARC effect

Cipora¹,

Woloszyn²,

Hohol³

2021

Preprint

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The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect (i.e., faster left/right side responses to small/large magnitude numbers, respectively) is considered as strong evidence for the link between numbers and space. The studies have shown considerable variation in this effect. Among the factors determining individual differences in the SNARC effect is the hand an individual uses to start the finger counting sequence. Left-starters show a stronger and less variable SNARC effect than right-starters. This observation has been used as an argument for the embodied nature of the SNARC effect. For this to be the case, one must assume that the finger counting sequence (especially the starting hand) is stable over time. Subsequent studies challenged the view that the SNARC differs depending on the finger counting starting hand. At the same time, it has been pointed out that the temporal stability of finger counting starting hand should not be taken for granted. Thus, in this preregistered study, we aimed to replicate the difference in the SNARC between left- and right-starters and explore the relationship between the temporal stability of finger counting starting hand and the SNARC effect. We expected that higher stability should be associated with a stronger SNARC effect. Results of the preregistered analysis did not show the difference between left- and right-starters. However, further exploratory analysis provided weak evidence that this might be the case. Lastly, we found no evidence for the relationship between finger counting starting hand stability and the SNARC effect. Overall, these results challenge the view on the embodied nature of the SNARC effect.

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Towards Strong Inference in Research on Embodiment – Possibilities and Limitations of Causal Paradigms

Cited by 35 publications

References 135 publications

No evidence for embodiment: The motor system is not needed to keep action words in working memory

No evidence for embodiment: The motor system is not needed to keep action words in working memory

Uloga utjelovljenja u razumijevanju pojmova

No fingers, no SNARC? Neither the finger counting starting hand, nor its stability robustly affect the SNARC effect

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