lecture from Grounded Cognition course at Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava

1. Grounding Language in Action
Kristína Rebrová
[Grounded Cognition 2012]
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

2. Motor Resonance and Language
language of action evokes motor resonance
evidence:
neural: cognitive neuropsychology
behavioral: psycholinguistics (interference eects)
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

3. Neural Evidence: Pulvermueler (2005)
Pulvermueler et al. (2001): hearing/reading action verbs
produces somatotopic activation in the primary motor cortex
EEG study, movement vs. lexical decision task
kick (leg), pick (arm), lick (face)
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

4. Neural Evidence: Pulvermueler (2005)
Hauk et al. (2004): fMRI study, movement vs. passive reading
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

5. Neural Evidence: Pulvermueler (2005)
Pulvermueler et al. (2005): TMS study, movement vs. passive
reading
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

6. Behavioral Evidence: Indexical Hypothesis of Meaning
meaning based on action (and aordances)
transformation of language to meaning in 3 steps:
1 words = perceptual symbols
2 perceptual symbols = aordances
3 aordances ++ syntactic construction = action: (un)doable
= (mis)understood
4 grammatical form: order of simulation, how to combine
aordances
language is made meaningful by cognitively simulating the
actions implied by sentences
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

7. Behavioral Evidence: Action-Sentence Compatibility Eect
Glenberg and Kashak (2002): comprehending a sentence that
implies action in one direction interferes with real action in the
opposite direction
Movement from and towards the body: when incongruent with
the sentence movement reaction time is longer
Task: sensical and nonsensical sentences, button Y/N near
and far from the body
John gave you a pizza. You gave a pizza to John.
Also with abstract transfer sentences (Glenberg et al., 2008)
Mary told you a story. You told a story to Mary.
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

8. Behavioral Evidence: Action-Sentence Compatibility Eect
Zwaan and Taylor (2006)
same principle as Glenberg and Kaschak
rotation movement to both sides
John increased the speakers volume. Mary opened a jar of
pickles.
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action

9. The End
Thank you for your attention
kristina.rebrova@gmail.com
Kristína Rebrová [Grounded Cognition 2012] Grounding Language in Action