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Reilly J, Shain C, Borghesani V, Kuhnke P, Vigliocco G, Peelle JE, Mahon BZ, Buxbaum LJ, Majid A, Brysbaert M, Borghi AM, De Deyne S, Dove G, Papeo L, Pexman PM, Poeppel D, Lupyan G, Boggio P, Hickok G, Gwilliams L, Fernandino L, Mirman D, Chrysikou EG, Sandberg CW, Crutch SJ, Pylkkänen L, Yee E, Jackson RL, Rodd JM, Bedny M, Connell L, Kiefer M, Kemmerer D, de Zubicaray G, Jefferies E, Lynott D, Siew CSQ, Desai RH, McRae K, Diaz MT, Bolognesi M, Fedorenko E, Kiran S, Montefinese M, Binder JR, Yap MJ, Hartwigsen G, Cantlon J, Bi Y, Hoffman P, Garcea FE, Vinson D. What we mean when we say semantic: Toward a multidisciplinary semantic glossary. Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-024-02556-7. [PMID: 39231896 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-024-02556-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Tulving characterized semantic memory as a vast repository of meaning that underlies language and many other cognitive processes. This perspective on lexical and conceptual knowledge galvanized a new era of research undertaken by numerous fields, each with their own idiosyncratic methods and terminology. For example, "concept" has different meanings in philosophy, linguistics, and psychology. As such, many fundamental constructs used to delineate semantic theories remain underspecified and/or opaque. Weak construct specificity is among the leading causes of the replication crisis now facing psychology and related fields. Term ambiguity hinders cross-disciplinary communication, falsifiability, and incremental theory-building. Numerous cognitive subdisciplines (e.g., vision, affective neuroscience) have recently addressed these limitations via the development of consensus-based guidelines and definitions. The project to follow represents our effort to produce a multidisciplinary semantic glossary consisting of succinct definitions, background, principled dissenting views, ratings of agreement, and subjective confidence for 17 target constructs (e.g., abstractness, abstraction, concreteness, concept, embodied cognition, event semantics, lexical-semantic, modality, representation, semantic control, semantic feature, simulation, semantic distance, semantic dimension). We discuss potential benefits and pitfalls (e.g., implicit bias, prescriptiveness) of these efforts to specify a common nomenclature that other researchers might index in specifying their own theoretical perspectives (e.g., They said X, but I mean Y).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cory Shain
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Philipp Kuhnke
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Laurel J Buxbaum
- Thomas Jefferson University, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Guy Dove
- University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Liuba Papeo
- Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University Claude-Bernard Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | - Paulo Boggio
- Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eiling Yee
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ken McRae
- Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Melvin J Yap
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Yanchao Bi
- University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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2
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Alcalá-López D, Mei N, Margolles P, Soto D. Brain-wide representation of social knowledge. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae032. [PMID: 38804694 PMCID: PMC11173195 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the human brain maps different dimensions of social conceptualizations remains a key unresolved issue. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in which participants were exposed to audio definitions of personality traits and asked to simulate experiences associated with the concepts. Half of the concepts were affective (e.g. empathetic), and the other half were non-affective (e.g. intelligent). Orthogonally, half of the concepts were highly likable (e.g. sincere) and half were socially undesirable (e.g. liar). Behaviourally, we observed that the dimension of social desirability reflected the participant's subjective ratings better than affect. FMRI decoding results showed that both social desirability and affect could be decoded in local patterns of activity through distributed brain regions including the superior temporal, inferior frontal, precuneus and key nodes of the default mode network in posterior/anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Decoding accuracy was better for social desirability than affect. A representational similarity analysis further demonstrated that a deep language model significantly predicted brain activity associated with the concepts in bilateral regions of superior and anterior temporal lobes. The results demonstrate a brain-wide representation of social knowledge, involving default model network systems that support the multimodal simulation of social experience, with a further reliance on language-related preprocessing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Alcalá-López
- Consciousness group, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian 20009, Spain
| | - Ning Mei
- Psychology Department, Shenzhen University, Nanshan district, Guangdong province 3688, China
| | - Pedro Margolles
- Consciousness group, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian 20009, Spain
| | - David Soto
- Consciousness group, Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian 20009, Spain
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3
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Gnedykh D, Tsvetova D, Mkrtychian N, Blagovechtchenski E, Kostromina S, Shtyrov Y. tDCS of right-hemispheric Wernicke's area homologue affects contextual learning of novel lexicon. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 210:107905. [PMID: 38403010 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown robust evidence of the right hemisphere's involvement in the language function, for instance in the processing of intonation, grammar, word meanings, metaphors, etc. However, its role in lexicon acquisition remains obscure. We applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right-hemispheric homologue of Wernicke's area to assess its putative involvement in the processing of different types of novel semantics. After receiving 15 min of anodal, cathodal, or sham (placebo) tDCS, three groups of healthy participants learnt novel concrete and abstract words in the context of short stories. Learning outcomes were assessed using a battery of tests immediately after this contextual learning session and 24 h later. As a result, an inhibitory effect of cathodal tDCS and a facilitatory effect of anodal tDCS were found for abstract word acquisition only. We also found a significant drop in task performance on the second day of the assessment for both word types in all the stimulation groups, suggesting no significant influence of tDCS on the post-learning consolidation of new memory traces. The results suggest an involvement of Wernicke's right-hemispheric counterpart in initial encoding (but not consolidation) of abstract semantics, which may be explained either by the right hemispheres direct role in processing lexical semantics or by an indirect impact of tDCS on contralateral (left-hemispheric) cortical areas through cross-callosal connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Gnedykh
- Laboratory of Behavioural Neurodynamics, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Psychology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Diana Tsvetova
- Laboratory of Behavioural Neurodynamics, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Mkrtychian
- Laboratory of Behavioural Neurodynamics, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny Blagovechtchenski
- Laboratory of Behavioural Neurodynamics, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Psychology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Svetlana Kostromina
- Laboratory of Behavioural Neurodynamics, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; Department of Psychology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Nico D, M Borghi A, Tummolini L, Daprati E. Abstract concepts and simulated competition. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:238-256. [PMID: 37268790 PMCID: PMC10238250 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01843-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the social determinants of conceptual knowledge we devised a task in which participants were asked to judge the match between a definition (expressed in abstract or concrete terms) and a target-word (also either abstract or concrete). The task was presented in the form of a competition that could/could not include an opponent, and in which different percentages of response rounds were assigned to the participant at the experimenter's discretion. Thus, depending on the condition, participants were either exposed to a competitive context mimicking a privileged/unprivileged interaction with the experimenter or to a socially neutral setting. Results showed that manipulation of the social context selectively affected judgments on abstract stimuli: responses were significantly slower whenever a definition and/or a target word were presented in abstract form and when participants were in the favorable condition of responding in most of the trials. Moreover, only when processing abstract material, responses were slower when an opponent was expected to be present. Data are discussed in the frame of the different cognitive engagements involved when treating abstract and concrete concepts as well as in relation to the possible motivational factors prompted by the experimental set-up. The role of social context as a crucial element for abstract knowledge processing is also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Nico
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Anna M Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Tummolini
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena Daprati
- Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi and CBMS, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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5
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Borghi AM, De Livio C, Falcinelli I, Gervasi AM. Beyond simple laboratory studies, toward interactive methods: Commentary on the review article: Beyond simple laboratory studies: Developing sophisticated models to study rich behavior. Phys Life Rev 2023; 47:197-199. [PMID: 37926023 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
| | - Chiara De Livio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Mattia Gervasi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM, Lyon, France
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6
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Era V, Candidi M, Pezzetta R, Pulcini C, D'Antonio S, Zabberoni S, Peppe A, Costa A, Taglieri S, Carlesimo GA, Aglioti SM. The dopaminergic system supports flexible and rewarding dyadic motor interactive behaviour in Parkinson's Disease. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:6604233. [PMID: 35674339 PMCID: PMC9949502 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate that the dopaminergic system (DAS) supports individual flexible behaviour. While flexibility is quintessential to effective dyadic motor interactions, whether DAS mediates adaptations of one's own motor behaviour to that of a partner is not known. Here, we asked patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) to synchronize their grasping movements with those of a virtual partner in conditions that did (Interactive) or did not (Cued) require to predict and adapt to its actions. PD performed the task during daily antiparkinsonian treatment ('On' condition) or after drug-withdrawal ('Off' condition). A group of healthy individuals also served as control group. In the Interactive condition, PDs performed better and found the interaction more enjoyable when in 'On' than in 'Off' condition. Crucially, PD performance in the 'On' condition did not differ from that of healthy controls. This pattern of results hints at the key role of the DAS in supporting the flexible adaptation of one's own actions to the partner's during motor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Pulcini
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Sara D'Antonio
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | | | | | - Alberto Costa
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, 00166, Italy
| | - Sara Taglieri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, 00166, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, and Sapienza University Rome, Rome, 00161, Italy
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7
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Olsen K, Tylén K. On the social nature of abstraction: cognitive implications of interaction and diversity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210361. [PMID: 36571125 PMCID: PMC9791485 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human capacity for abstraction is remarkable. We effortlessly form abstract representations from varied experiences, generalizing and flexibly transferring experiences and knowledge between contexts, which can facilitate reasoning, problem solving and learning across many domains. The cognitive process of abstraction, however, is often portrayed and investigated as an individual process. This paper addresses how cognitive processes of abstraction-together with other aspects of human reasoning and problem solving-are fundamentally shaped and modulated by online social interaction. Starting from a general distinction between convergent thinking, divergent thinking and processes of abstraction, we address how social interaction shapes information processing differently depending on cognitive demands, social coordination and task ecologies. In particular, we suggest that processes of abstraction are facilitated by the interactive sharing and integration of varied individual experiences. To this end, we also discuss how the dynamics of group interactions vary as a function of group composition; that is, in terms of the similarity and diversity between the group members. We conclude by outlining the role of cognitive diversity in interactive processes and consider the importance of group diversity in processes of abstraction. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Olsen
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department for Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kristian Tylén
- The Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department for Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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8
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De Felice S, Hamilton AFDC, Ponari M, Vigliocco G. Learning from others is good, with others is better: the role of social interaction in human acquisition of new knowledge. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210357. [PMID: 36571126 PMCID: PMC9791495 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning in humans is highly embedded in social interaction: since the very early stages of our lives, we form memories and acquire knowledge about the world from and with others. Yet, within cognitive science and neuroscience, human learning is mainly studied in isolation. The focus of past research in learning has been either exclusively on the learner or (less often) on the teacher, with the primary aim of determining developmental trajectories and/or effective teaching techniques. In fact, social interaction has rarely been explicitly taken as a variable of interest, despite being the medium through which learning occurs, especially in development, but also in adulthood. Here, we review behavioural and neuroimaging research on social human learning, specifically focusing on cognitive models of how we acquire semantic knowledge from and with others, and include both developmental as well as adult work. We then identify potential cognitive mechanisms that support social learning, and their neural correlates. The aim is to outline key new directions for experiments investigating how knowledge is acquired in its ecological niche, i.e. socially, within the framework of the two-person neuroscience approach. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Felice
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL), 17–19 Alexandra House Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Antonia F. de C. Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL), 17–19 Alexandra House Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Marta Ponari
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NP, UK
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9
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Borghi AM, Osińska A, Roepstorff A, Raczaszek-Leonardi J. Editorial concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210351. [PMID: 36571137 PMCID: PMC9791470 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This theme issue aims to view the literature on concepts through a novel lens, that of social interaction and its influence on inner experiences. It discusses unsolved problems in literature on concepts, emphasizing the distinction between concrete versus abstract concepts and external versus internal grounding. This introductory article reflects the two research streams that the theme aims to bridge-in this area, the dimension of embodied interaction with others and how this influences the interaction with ourselves is still underexplored. In the first part, we discuss recent trends in social cognition, showing how interacting with others influences our concepts. In the second part, we address how social interactions become part of our inner world in a Vygotskian fashion. First, we illustrate how interoception, emotion and metacognition are connected with concepts and knowledge. Second, we deal with how language, in both its outer and inner form, can empower cognition and concepts. We also briefly describe how novel experimental and computational methods contribute to investigating the online use of concepts. Overall, this introductory article outlines the potentialities of an integrated and interactive approach that can give new, fresh life to a topic, that of concepts, which lies at the root of human cognition. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Borghi
- Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Lazio, Italy,Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Lazio, Italy
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10
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Fini C, Bolis D, Moreau Q, Era V. Editorial: Physical and psychological proximity in humans: From the body to the mind and vice-versa. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1113851. [PMID: 36818105 PMCID: PMC9933708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Fini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dimitris Bolis
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Quentin Moreau
- Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology Laboratory (PPSP), CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Sapienza University of Rome and Center for Life Nano- & Neuroscience, Rome, Italy
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11
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Embodiment and repeated exposure do not suffice for abstract concepts acquisition: evidence from tonal music cognition. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:43-58. [PMID: 35254462 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01662-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Research on abstract concepts (AC) suggests that while some AC are enacted indirectly and occasionally, others are largely grounded in our sensory-motor and affective experience, and the opportunities to enact them are countless, which would allow us to acquire them without supervision. From this, the following question arises: do embodiment and repeated exposure suffice to dispense with supervision in abstract concepts acquisition (ACA)? In the present study, this question was addressed in the context of tonal music cognition, which demands a high level of abstraction, and via musical materials that participants had frequently heard and sung. Specifically, highly trained, moderately trained, and untrained participants (24 each) were given 12 well-known melodic fragments ending on tones instantiating 6 different scale degrees (2 times each) and asked to group (round 1) or pair (round 2) those fragments whose last tone conveyed the same (or a similar enough) level of stability or rest. If embodiment and repeated exposure suffice for ACA, then one would expect a scale degree-based grouping strategy regardless of participants' training level. Results showed that only highly trained participants systematically grouped stimuli ending on the same scale degree, particularly in round 2; moderately trained participants' performance was mixed, and tonality's influence on untrained participants was negligible. Further, moderately trained and untrained participants performed inconsistently, discarding in round 2 almost all of the pairs formed in round 1. These findings are integrated with previous findings on the effect of language, affect, and category type on conceptualization to account for why and when ACA requires supervision.
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12
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Fini C, Bardi L, Bolis D, Fusaro M, Lisi MP, Michalland AH, Era V. The social roots of self development: from a bodily to an intellectual interpersonal dialogue. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023:10.1007/s00426-022-01785-6. [PMID: 36595049 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01785-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we propose that interpersonal bodily interactions represent a fertile ground in which the bodily and psychological self is developed, gradually allowing for forms of more abstract and disembodied interactions. We start by focusing on how early infant-caregiver bodily interactions play a crucial role in shaping the boundaries of the self but also in learning to predict others' behavior. We then explore the social function of the sense of touch in the entire life span, highlighting its role in promoting physical and psychological well-being by supporting positive interpersonal exchanges. We go on by introducing the concept of implicit theory of mind, as the early ability to interpret others' intentions, possibly grounded in infant-caregiver bodily exchanges (embodied practices). In the following part, we consider so-called higher level forms of social interaction: intellectual exchanges among individuals. In this regard, we defend the view that, beside the apparent private dimension of "thinking abstractly", using abstract concepts is intrinsically a social process, as it entails the re-enactment of the internalized dialogue through which we acquired the concepts in the first place. Finally, we describe how the hypothesis of "dialectical attunement" may explain the development of abstract thinking: to effectively transform the world according to their survival needs, individuals co-construct structured concepts of it; by doing so, humans fundamentally transform not merely the world they are being in, but their being in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Fini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lara Bardi
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Marc Jeannerod, CNRS/UMR 5229, Bron, France.,Université Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Dimitris Bolis
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry,Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Muenchen-Schwabing, Germany.,Centre for Philosophy of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Okazaki, 444-0867, Japan
| | | | - Matteo P Lisi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Sapienza University of Rome and Center for Life Nano- & Neuroscience, Rome, Italy
| | - Arthur Henri Michalland
- Department of Psychology, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPSYLON EA 4556, 34199, Montpellier, France.,University of Montpellier - LIFAM, Montpellier, France
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia (IIT), Sapienza University of Rome and Center for Life Nano- & Neuroscience, Rome, Italy
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13
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Moreau Q, Tieri G, Era V, Aglioti SM, Candidi M. The performance monitoring system is attuned to others' actions during dyadic motor interactions. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:222-234. [PMID: 35203090 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal motor interactions require the simultaneous monitoring of one's own and one's partner's actions. To characterize how the action monitoring system tracks self and other behavior during synchronous interactions, we combined electroencephalography recordings and immersive virtual reality in two tasks where participants were asked to synchronize their actions with those of a virtual partner (VP). The two tasks differed in the features to be monitored: the Goal task required participants to predict and monitor the VP's reaching goal; the Spatial task required participants to predict and monitor the VP's reaching trajectory. In both tasks, the VP performed unexpected movement changes to which the participant needed to adapt. By extracting the neural activity locked to the detection of unexpected changes in the VP's action (other-monitoring) or to the participants' action-replanning (self-monitoring), we show that the monitoring system is more attuned to others' than to one's own actions. Additionally, distinctive neural responses to VP's unexpected goals and trajectory corrections were found: goal changes were reflected both in early fronto-central and later posterior neural responses while trajectory deviations were reflected only in later posterior responses. Altogether, our results indicate that the monitoring system adopts an inherent social mode to handle interpersonal motor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Moreau
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetano Tieri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.,Virtual Reality Lab, Unitelma Sapienza University, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Era
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Sapienza University, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
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14
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Borghi AM, Shaki S, Fischer MH. Abstract concepts: external influences, internal constraints, and methodological issues. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 86:2370-2388. [PMID: 35788903 PMCID: PMC9674746 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01698-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
There is a longstanding and widely held misconception about the relative remoteness of abstract concepts from concrete experiences. This review examines the current evidence for external influences and internal constraints on the processing, representation, and use of abstract concepts, like truth, friendship, and number. We highlight the theoretical benefit of distinguishing between grounded and embodied cognition and then ask which roles do perception, action, language, and social interaction play in acquiring, representing and using abstract concepts. By reviewing several studies, we show that they are, against the accepted definition, not detached from perception and action. Focussing on magnitude-related concepts, we also discuss evidence for cultural influences on abstract knowledge and explore how internal processes such as inner speech, metacognition, and inner bodily signals (interoception) influence the acquisition and retrieval of abstract knowledge. Finally, we discuss some methodological developments. Specifically, we focus on the importance of studies that investigate the time course of conceptual processing and we argue that, because of the paramount role of sociality for abstract concepts, new methods are necessary to study concepts in interactive situations. We conclude that bodily, linguistic, and social constraints provide important theoretical limitations for our theories of conceptual knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Samuel Shaki
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ariel University, 44837, Ariel, Israel
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15
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Paoletti M, Fini C, Filippini C, Massari GM, D’Abundo E, Merla A, Bellagamba F, Borghi AM. Abstract words processing induces parasympathetic activation: A thermal imaging study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:932118. [PMID: 36389444 PMCID: PMC9652150 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.932118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract words (e.g., freedom) compose a significant part of speech. Despite this, learning them is complicated. Abstract concepts collect more heterogeneous exemplars and are more detached from sensory modalities than concrete concepts. Recent views propose that, because of their complexity, other people are pivotal for abstract concepts’ acquisition and use, e.g., to explain their meaning. We tested this hypothesis using a combined behavioral and thermal imaging paradigm. Twenty-one Italian children (10\F, mean age: 6 years) determined whether acoustic stimuli (concrete and abstract words; non-words) were or not correct Italian words (lexical decision). Concrete terms yielded faster responses than abstract ones: for the first time, this effect appears with response times in very young children. More crucially, the higher increase in temperature of the nasal tip (i.e., typically associated with parasympathetic dominance of the neurovegetative response) suggests that, with abstract concepts, children might be more socially and cognitively engaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Paoletti
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Fini
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Filippini
- Department of Neurosciences and Imaging, University G. d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giovanna M. Massari
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia D’Abundo
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Merla
- Department of Engineering and Geology, University G. d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara, Italy
| | - Francesca Bellagamba
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna M. Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Anna M. Borghi,
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16
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Abstract
Concepts allow us to make sense of the world. Most evidence on their acquisition and representation comes from studies of single decontextualized words and focuses on the opposition between concrete and abstract concepts (e.g., "bottle" vs. "truth"). A significant step forward in research on concepts consists in investigating them in online interaction during their use. Our study examines linguistic exchanges analyzing the differences between sub-kinds of concepts. Participants were submitted to an online task in which they had to simulate a conversational exchange by responding to sentences involving sub-kinds of concrete (tools, animals, food) and abstract concepts (PS, philosophical-spiritual; EMSS, emotional-social, PSTQ, physical-spatio-temporal-quantitative). We found differences in content: foods evoked interoception; tools and animals elicited materials, spatial, auditive features, confirming their sensorimotor grounding. PS and EMSS yielded inner experiences (e.g., emotions, cognitive states, introspections) and opposed PSTQ, tied to visual properties and concrete agency. More crucially, the various concepts elicited different interactional dynamics: more abstract concepts generated higher uncertainty and more interactive exchanges than concrete ones. Investigating concepts in situated interactions opens new possibilities for studying conceptual knowledge and its pragmatic and social aspects.
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17
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González-Arias M, Aracena D. Are the concepts of emotion special? A comparison between basic-emotion, secondary-emotion, abstract, and concrete words. Front Psychol 2022; 13:915165. [PMID: 36176788 PMCID: PMC9514115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.915165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of emotional concepts stands at a very interesting intersection between the theoretical debate about the nature of emotions and the debate about the nature of processing concrete concepts and abstract concepts. On the one hand, it is debated whether it is possible to differentiate basic emotions from secondary emotions and, on the other hand, whether emotional concepts differ from abstract concepts. In this regard, the prototypical perceptual aspects are considered an important factor both for the differentiation between concrete and abstract concepts and for the differentiation between basic and secondary emotions (facial expressions). Thus, the objective has been to determine if (a) the presence or absence of a prototypical perceptual referent, and (b) the type of concept (referring to emotion and not referring to emotion), produce differences between concepts of basic emotions, secondary emotions and concepts not related to emotions, concrete and abstract, in the tasks of qualification of concreteness, imageability and availability of context and the task of the list of properties, that have been used in previous studies. A total of 86 university students from the suburbs of La Serena - Coquimbo (Chile), all native Spanish speakers, participated in the study. The results show that in the perception of concreteness and in the total of enumerated properties, emotional concepts presented similar results to abstract concepts not related to emotion and there was no difference between basic and secondary emotion concepts. In imageability and context availability, emotional concepts were perceived as different from and more concrete than abstract concepts. In addition, the cause-effect type attributes allowed to clearly differentiate emotional concepts from those not related to emotion and to differentiate between basic and secondary emotion concepts. These types of attributes appear almost exclusively in emotional concepts and are more frequent in basic emotions. These results are partially consistent with the predictions of Neurocultural and Conceptual Act theories about emotions.
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18
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Yao Z, Chai Y, Yang P, Zhao R, Wang F. Effects of social experience on abstract concepts in semantic priming. Front Psychol 2022; 13:912176. [PMID: 36118490 PMCID: PMC9480607 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.912176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can understand thousands of abstract words, even when they do not have clearly perceivable referents. Recent views highlight an important role of social experience in grounding of abstract concepts and sub-kinds of abstract concepts, but empirical work in this area is still in its early stages. In the present study, a picture-word semantic priming paradigm was employed to investigate the contribution effect of social experience that is provided by real-life pictures to social abstract (SA, e.g., friendship, betrayal) concepts and emotional abstract (EA, e.g., happiness, anger) concepts. Using a lexical decision task, we examined responses to picture-SA word pairs (Experiment 1) and picture-EA word pairs (Experiment 2) in social/emotional semantically related and unrelated conditions. All pairs shared either positive or negative valence. The results showed quicker responses to positive SA and EA words that were preceded by related vs. unrelated prime pictures. Specifically, positive SA words were facilitated by the corresponding social scene pictures, whereas positive EA words were facilitated by pictures depict the corresponding facial expressions and gestures. However, such facilitatory effect was not observed in negative picture-SA/EA word conditions. This pattern of results suggests that a facilitatory effect of social experience on abstract concepts varies with different sub-kinds of abstract concepts, that seems to be limited to positive SA concepts. Overall, our findings confirm the crucial role of social experience for abstract concepts and further suggest that not all abstract concepts can benefit from social experience, at least in the semantic priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Yao
- School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Zhao Yao,
| | - Yu Chai
- School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Peiying Yang
- School of Humanities, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Rong Zhao
- School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Fei Wang
- School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Fei Wang,
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19
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Borghi AM, Fini C, Mazzuca C. Abstract Concepts, Social Interaction, and Beliefs. Front Psychol 2022; 13:919808. [PMID: 35846674 PMCID: PMC9278159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Borghi
- Laboratory BALLAB (Body Action Language LAB), Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Fini
- Laboratory BALLAB (Body Action Language LAB), Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Mazzuca
- Laboratory BALLAB (Body Action Language LAB), Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Borghi AM. Concepts for Which We Need Others More: The Case of Abstract Concepts. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214221079625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The capability to form and use concepts is a core component of human cognition. Although all concepts are grounded in sensorimotor processes, more abstract concepts (e.g., “truth”) collect more heterogeneous and perceptually dissimilar exemplars; thus, linguistic interaction and social interaction are particularly crucial for their acquisition and use. Because of their indeterminacy, abstract concepts generate more uncertainty than more concrete concepts; hence, they induce people to monitor their inner knowledge longer and then to consult others to ask for information and negotiate the concept’s meaning. I propose that people need others more for abstract concepts than for concrete concepts: Other people are essential to acquire, process, and use abstract concepts. Conceiving abstract concepts in these terms requires the employment of novel, interactive methods to investigate how people represent them during their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, and Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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21
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D’Aversa FM, Lugli L, Borghi AM, Barca L. Implicit effect of abstract/concrete components in the categorization of Chinese words. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2022.2049279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luisa Lugli
- Department of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna M. Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Barca
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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22
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Kiefer M, Pielke L, Trumpp NM. Differential temporo-spatial pattern of electrical brain activity during the processing of abstract concepts related to mental states and verbal associations. Neuroimage 2022; 252:119036. [PMID: 35219860 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Refined grounded cognition accounts propose that abstract concepts might be grounded in brain circuits involved in mentalizing. In the present event-related potential (ERP) study, we compared the time course of neural processing in response to semantically predefined abstract mental states and verbal association concepts during a lexical decision task. In addition to scalp ERPs, source estimates of underlying volume brain activity were determined to reveal spatio-temporal clusters of greater electrical brain activity to abstract mental state vs. verbal association concepts, and vice versa. Source estimates suggested early (onset 194 ms), but short-lived enhanced activity (offset 210 ms) to verbal association concepts in left occipital regions. Increased occipital activity might reflect retrieval of visual word form or access to visual conceptual features of associated words. Increased estimated source activity to mental state concepts was obtained in visuo-motor (superior parietal, pre- and postcentral areas) and mentalizing networks (lateral and medial prefrontal areas, insula, precuneus, temporo-parietal junction) with an onset of 212 ms, which extended to later time windows. The time course data indicated two processing phases: An initial conceptual access phase, in which linguistic and modal brain circuits rapidly process features depending on their relevance, and a later conceptual elaboration phase, in which elaborative processing within feature-specific networks further refines the concept. This study confirms the proposal that abstract concepts are based on representations in distinct neural circuits depending on their semantic feature content. The present research also highlights the importance of investigating sets of abstract concepts with a defined semantic content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Kiefer
- Department of Psychiatry, Section for Cognitive Electrophysiology, Ulm University, Leimgrubenweg 12, Ulm D-89075, Germany.
| | - Lena Pielke
- Department of Psychiatry, Section for Cognitive Electrophysiology, Ulm University, Leimgrubenweg 12, Ulm D-89075, Germany
| | - Natalie M Trumpp
- Department of Psychiatry, Section for Cognitive Electrophysiology, Ulm University, Leimgrubenweg 12, Ulm D-89075, Germany
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23
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Boukarras S, Özkan DG, Era V, Moreau Q, Tieri G, Candidi M. Midfrontal Theta tACS Facilitates Motor Coordination in Dyadic Human-Avatar Interactions. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:897-915. [PMID: 35171250 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Synchronous interpersonal motor interactions require moment-to-moment prediction and proactive monitoring of the partner's actions. Neurophysiologically, this is highlighted by an enhancement of midfrontal theta (4-7 Hz) oscillations. In this study, we explored the causal role of midfrontal theta for interpersonal motor interactions using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). We implemented a realistic human-avatar interaction task in immersive virtual reality where participants controlled a virtual arm and hand to press a button synchronously with a virtual partner. Participants completed the task while receiving EEG-informed theta (Experiment 1) or beta (control frequency, Experiment 2) tACS over the frontal midline, as well as sham stimulation as a control. Results showed that midfrontal theta tACS significantly improved behavioral performance (i.e., reduced interpersonal asynchrony) and participants' motor strategies (i.e., increased movement times and reduced RTs), whereas beta tACS had no effect on these measures. These results suggest that theta tACS over frontal areas facilitates action monitoring and motor abilities supporting interpersonal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Boukarras
- Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Duru Gun Özkan
- Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Era
- Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Quentin Moreau
- Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaetano Tieri
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Unitelma Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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24
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Mazzuca C, Fini C, Michalland AH, Falcinelli I, Da Rold F, Tummolini L, Borghi AM. From Affordances to Abstract Words: The Flexibility of Sensorimotor Grounding. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1304. [PMID: 34679369 PMCID: PMC8534254 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sensorimotor system plays a critical role in several cognitive processes. Here, we review recent studies documenting this interplay at different levels. First, we concentrate on studies that have shown how the sensorimotor system is flexibly involved in interactions with objects. We report evidence demonstrating how social context and situations influence affordance activation, and then focus on tactile and kinesthetic components in body-object interactions. Then, we turn to word use, and review studies that have shown that not only concrete words, but also abstract words are grounded in the sensorimotor system. We report evidence that abstract concepts activate the mouth effector more than concrete concepts, and discuss this effect in light of studies on adults, children, and infants. Finally, we pinpoint possible sensorimotor mechanisms at play in the acquisition and use of abstract concepts. Overall, we show that the involvement of the sensorimotor system is flexibly modulated by context, and that its role can be integrated and flanked by that of other systems such as the linguistic system. We suggest that to unravel the role of the sensorimotor system in cognition, future research should fully explore the complexity of this intricate, and sometimes slippery, relation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mazzuca
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
| | - Chiara Fini
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Arthur Henri Michalland
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
- Department of Psychology, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPSYLON EA 4556, 34199 Montpellier, France
| | - Ilenia Falcinelli
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
| | - Federico Da Rold
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
| | - Luca Tummolini
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna M. Borghi
- Body Action Language Lab (BALLAB), Sapienza University of Rome and ISTC-CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.M.); (C.F.); (A.H.M.); (I.F.); (F.D.R.); (L.T.)
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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