Imaginal, Semantic, and Surface-Level Processing of Concrete and Abstract Words: An Electrophysiological Investigation

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1024-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Caroline West ◽  
Phillip J. Holcomb
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Imagery Task ◽  
Cognitive Operations ◽  
Semantic Decision ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Concrete Words

Words representing concrete concepts are processed more quickly and efficiently than words representing abstract concepts. Concreteness effects have also been observed in studies using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). The aim of this study was to examine concrete and abstract words using both reaction time (RT) and ERP measurements to determine (1) at what point in the stream of cognitive processing concreteness effects emerge and (2) how different types of cognitive operations influence these concreteness effects. Three groups of subjects performed a sentence verification task in which the final word of each sentence was concrete or abstract. For each group the truthfulness judgment required either (1) image generation, (2) a semantic decision, or (3) evaluation of surface characteristics. Concrete and abstract words produced similar RTs and ERPs in the surface task, suggesting that postlexical semantic processing is necessary to elicit concreteness effects. In both the semantic and imagery tasks, RTs were shorter for concrete than for abstract words. This difference was greatest in the imagery task. Also, in both of these tasks concrete words elicited more negative ERPs than abstract words between 300 and 550 msec (N400). This effect was widespread across the scalp and may reflect activation in a linguistic semantic system common to both concrete and abstract words. ERPs were also more negative for concrete than abstract words between 550 and 800 msec. This effect was more frontally distributed and was most evident in the imagery task. We propose that this later anterior effect represents a distinct ERP component (N700) that is sensitive to the use of mental imagery. The N700 may reflect the access of specific characteristics of the imaged item or activation in a working memory system specific to mental imagery. These results also support the extended dual-coding hypothesis that superior associative connections and the use of mental imagery both contribute to processing advantages for concrete words over abstract words.

The different representational frameworks underpinning abstract and concrete knowledge: Evidence from odd-one-out judgements

2009 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1377-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian J. Crutch ◽  
Sarah Connell ◽  
Elizabeth K. Warrington
Keyword(s):  
Concrete Word ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Semantic Associations ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Normal Cognition ◽  
Neuropsychological Investigations ◽  
Concrete Words

Recent evidence from neuropsychological investigations of individuals with global aphasia and deep or deep-phonological dyslexia suggests that abstract and concrete concepts are underpinned by qualitatively different representational frameworks. Abstract words are represented primarily by their association to other words, whilst concrete words are represented primarily by their taxonomic similarity to one another. In the current study, we present the first evidence for this association/similarity distinction to be gathered from healthy research participants. Using a semantic odd-one-out task, it is shown that normal participants identify associative connections more quickly than similarity-based connections when processing abstract words, but that the pattern is reversed for concrete words. It is also demonstrated that the typical concrete-word advantage observed in many cognitive tasks is abolished and even reversed when participants have to comprehend the semantic associations between words. The data provide converging evidence for the different representational frameworks hypothesis and suggest that claims based on information from previous neuropsychological investigations can be generalized to normal cognition.

scholarly journals Imageability, familiarity, and age of acquisition ratings for Arabic abstract nouns, abstract verbs and adjectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Khwaileh ◽  
Eiman Mustafawi ◽  
David Howard ◽  
Ruth Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Abstract Nouns ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Abstract Verbs ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Naming Tasks ◽  
Concrete Words

Abstract To date, normative psycholinguistics research has mainly focused on establishing norms for producing databases for concrete words using standardized pictures, while abstract words have been subject to much less attention. Understandably, the fact that the first can be represented visually helps in formulating picture-naming tasks to elicit verbal identification for pictures representing nouns and verbs, which greatly contributes to language experiments in both theoretical and clinical studies. The present study argues for the equal importance of studies that aim to develop databases for abstract words, as language use is not restricted to picturable/concrete concepts. We provide norms for a set of 165 abstract nouns, 56 abstract verbs and 109 abstract adjectives, collected from healthy speakers of Arabic. Using rating tasks, norms for imageability, age of acquisition, and familiarity are established. Linguistic factors such as syllable length and phoneme length are also accounted for. We also include orthographic frequency values (extracted from AraLex; Boudelaa and Marslen-Wilson, 2010). The norms for the processing of abstract words collected in the current study present a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians working with speakers of Arabic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first dataset of abstract words for the Arabic language.

scholarly journals An ALE meta-analytical review of the neural correlates of abstract and concrete words

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madalina Bucur ◽  
Costanza Papagno
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Abstract Nouns ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Concrete Words

AbstractSeveral clinical studies have reported a double dissociation between abstract and concrete concepts, suggesting that they are processed by at least partly different networks in the brain. However, neuroimaging data seem not in line with neuropsychological reports. Using the ALE method, we run a meta-analysis on 32 brain-activation imaging studies that considered only nouns and verbs. Five clusters were associated with concrete words, four clusters with abstract words. When only nouns were selected three left activation clusters were found to be associated with concrete stimuli and only one with abstract nouns (left IFG). These results confirm that concrete and abstract words processing involves at least partially segregated brain areas, the IFG being relevant for abstract nouns and verbs while more posterior temporoparietal-occipital regions seem to be crucial for processing concrete words, in contrast with the neuropsychological literature that suggests a temporal anterior involvement for concrete words. We investigated the possible reasons that produce different outcomes in neuroimaging and clinical studies.

scholarly journals Differential Impact of Emotion on Semantic Processing of Abstract and Concrete Words: ERP and fMRI Evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Pauligk ◽  
Sonja A. Kotz ◽  
Philipp Kanske
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Semantic Retrieval ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Words

Abstract Emotional valence is known to influence word processing dependent upon concreteness. Whereas some studies point towards stronger effects of emotion on concrete words, others claim amplified emotion effects for abstract words. We investigated the interaction of emotion and concreteness by means of fMRI and EEG in a delayed lexical decision task. Behavioral data revealed a facilitating effect of high positive and negative valence on the correct processing of abstract, but not concrete words. EEG data yielded a particularly low amplitude response of the late positive component (LPC) following concrete neutral words. This presumably indicates enhanced allocation of processing resources to abstract and emotional words at late stages of word comprehension. In fMRI, interactions between concreteness and emotion were observed within the semantic processing network: the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Higher positive or negative valence appears to facilitate semantic retrieval and selection of abstract words. Surprisingly, a reversal of this effect occurred for concrete words. This points towards enhanced semantic control for emotional concrete words compared to neutral concrete words. Our findings suggest fine-tuned integration of emotional valence and concreteness. Specifically, at late processing stages, semantic control mechanisms seem to integrate emotional cues depending on the previous progress of semantic retrieval.

Distinct Brain Systems for Processing Concrete and Abstract Concepts

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Binder ◽  
C. F. Westbury ◽  
K. A. McKiernan ◽  
E. T. Possing ◽  
D. A. Medler
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Concrete Word ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Central Interest ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Words

Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of word imageability and concreteness remain a topic of central interest in cognitive neuroscience and could provide essential clues for understanding how the brain processes conceptual knowledge. We examined these effects using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while participants identified concrete and abstract words. Relative to nonwords, concrete and abstract words both activated a left-lateralized network of multimodal association areas previously linked with verbal semantic processing. Areas in the left lateral temporal lobe were equally activated by both word types, whereas bilateral regions including the angular gyrus and the dorsal prefrontal cortex were more strongly engaged by concrete words. Relative to concrete words, abstract words activated left inferior frontal regions previously linked with phonological and verbal working memory processes. The results show overlapping but partly distinct neural systems for processing concrete and abstract concepts, with greater involvement of bilateral association areas during concrete word processing, and processing of abstract concepts almost exclusively by the left hemisphere.

scholarly journals Learning and Using Abstract Words: Evidence from Clinical Populations

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Lorusso ◽  
Michele Burigo ◽  
Alessandro Tavano ◽  
Anna Milani ◽  
Sara Martelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Cognitive Profile ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Concrete Words

It has been shown that abstract concepts are more difficult to process and are acquired later than concrete concepts. We analysed the percentage of concrete words in the narrative lexicon of individuals with Williams Syndrome (WS) as compared to individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) and typically developing (TD) peers. The cognitive profile of WS is characterized by visual-spatial difficulties, while DS presents with predominant impairments in linguistic abilities. We predicted that if linguistic abilities are crucial to the development and use of an abstract vocabulary, DS participants should display a higher concreteness index than both Williams Syndrome and typically developing individuals. Results confirm this prediction, thus supporting the hypothesis of a crucial role of linguistic processes in abstract language acquisition. Correlation analyses suggest that a maturational link exists between the level of abstractness in narrative production and syntactic comprehension.

scholarly journals That means something to me: the effect of linguistic and emotional experience on the acquisition and processing of novel abstract concepts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Espey ◽  
Marta Ghio ◽  
Christian Bellebaum ◽  
Laura Bechtold
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Imagery Task ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Semantic Judgment ◽  
Electrophysiological Measurements ◽  
Abstract Words

This study aimed to investigate the acquisition and representation of novel abstract concepts grounded in linguistic and emotional experience. In five linguistic training sessions, participants learned emotional and neutral abstract concepts and either engaged in explicit mental imagery (n = 32) or lexico-semantic processing (n = 34) with the linguistic material. After training, a high lexical decision and semantic judgment accuracy showed that participants successfully acquired the novel concepts. A feature production task showed that emotional concepts were generally enriched by a surplus of (emotion) features, and neutral concepts by relatively more cognition features. More features led to a higher LDT accuracy but not to faster reactions, which cannot be fully explained by noise due to the online assessment as, descriptively, more features slowed down reactions in participants, who did the imagery task and accelerated them for those, who did the rephrasing task. Our findings support the notion that linguistic and emotional information are crucial for grounding abstract concepts, and that this grounding does not rely on explicit imagery. Future research might combine the linguistic training paradigm with controlled reaction time and electrophysiological measurements to further corroborate the experiential grounding of abstract words.

The Effect of Abstract and Concrete Contexts on the Imageability and Recallability of Words

1995 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Tracy ◽  
William R. Betts ◽  
Pauline Ketsios
Keyword(s):  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Words ◽  
The Way

Word imageability, the degree to which different words arouse imagery, is a powerful variable affecting mental imagery and memory. This study examined whether word imageability varies depending on the context within which words are presented. We randomly sampled abstract (low imageability) words and also concrete (high imageability) words from available norms. Introductory psychology students rated the words for imageability in different contexts. In the mixed content, students rated the abstract and concrete words mixed within the same set of words, similarly to the way words were rated in the norms. Concrete words were rated as more imageable than abstract words, replicating results from the norms. In the unmixed contents, students rated only abstract words or only concrete words. Surprisingly, concrete and abstract words no longer differed in rated imageability. We concluded that word imageability is not due to the mental imagery aroused by a particular word. Rather, a word's imageability is profoundly influenced by the imageability of surrounding words. This outcome opposes the typical interpretation that word imageability measures the abstractness-concreteness of the referenced object and also how recallable the word will be.

scholarly journals Emotion and concreteness effects when learning novel concepts in the native language

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-191
Author(s):  
Marc Guasch ◽  
Pilar Ferré
Keyword(s):  
Native Language ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Intentional Learning ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Concrete Words ◽  
Better Than

Abstract The aim of the present study was to test the proposal of Kousta et al. (2011), according to which abstract words are more affectively loaded than concrete words. To this end, we focused on the acquisition of novel concepts by means of an intentional learning experiment in which participants had to learn a set of 40 novel concepts in Spanish (definitions) associated with novel word forms (pseudowords). Concreteness (concrete vs. abstract concepts) and emotionality (neutral vs. negative concepts) were orthogonally manipulated. Acquisition was assessed through a recognition task in which participants were asked to match the novel word forms with their definitions. Results showed that concrete concepts were acquired better than abstract concepts. Importantly, the concreteness advantage disappeared when the content of the concept was negative. Hence, emotional (negative) content facilitated the acquisition of abstract concepts, but not of concrete concepts, giving support to the proposal of Kousta et al. (2011).

Calculating semantic relatedness of lists of nouns using WordNet path length

2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Amarsanaa Ganbold ◽  
Khuyagbaatar Batsuren
Keyword(s):  
Path Length ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Similarity Judgment ◽  
Semantic Relatedness ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
Concreteness Effect ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Words

Lists of semantically related words are better recalled on immediate memory tests than otherwise equivalent lists of unrelated words. However, measuring the degree of relatedness is not straightforward. We report three experiments that assess the ability of various measures of semantic relatedness—including latent semantic analysis (LSA), GloVe, fastText, and a number of measures based on WordNet—to predict whether two lists of words will be differentially recalled. In Experiment 1, all measures except LSA correctly predicted the observed better recall of the related than the unrelated list. In Experiment 2, all measures except JCN predicted that abstract words would be recalled equally as well as concrete words because of their enhanced semantic relatedness. In Experiment 3, LSA, GLoVe, and fastText predicted an enhanced concreteness effect because the concrete words were more related; three WordNet measures predicted a small concreteness effect because the abstract and concrete words did not differ in semantic relatedness; and three other WordNet measures predicted no concreteness effect because the abstract words were more related than the concrete words. A small concreteness effect was observed. Over the three experiments, only two measures, both based on simple WordNet path length, predicted all three results. We suggest that the results are not unexpected because semantic processing in episodic memory experiments differs from that in reading, similarity judgment, and analogy tasks which are the most common way of assessing such measures.

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