Strength of perceptual experience predicts word processing performance better than concreteness or imageability

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Strength of perceptual experience predicts word processing performance better than concreteness or imageability. / Connell, Louise ; Lynott, Dermot.
In: Cognition, Vol. 125, No. 3, 12.2012, p. 452-465.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Bibtex

@article{9fea62a2fc2d45cdae39de1d35d41924,

title = "Strength of perceptual experience predicts word processing performance better than concreteness or imageability",

abstract = "A concepts are traditionally thought to differ from concrete concepts by their lack of perceptual information, which causes them to be processed more slowly and less accurately than perceptually-based concrete concepts. In two studies, we examined this assumption by comparing concreteness and imageability ratings to a set of perceptual strength norms in five separate modalities: sound. taste, touch, smell and vision. Results showed that concreteness and imageability do not reflect the perceptual basis of concepts: concreteness ratings appear to be based on two different intersecting decision criteria, while imageability ratings are visually biased. Analysis of lexical decision and word naming performance showed that maximum perceptual strength (i.e., strength in the dominant perceptual modality) consistently outperformed both concreteness and imageability ratings in accounting for variance in response latency and accuracy. We conclude that so-called concreteness effects in word processing emerge from the perceptual strength of a concept's representation and discuss the implications for theories of conceptual representation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Concreteness effects, CONTEXT AVAILABILITY, FREQUENCY, Situated simulation, Imageability, Perceptual strength, SEMANTIC DEMENTIA, SERIAL-RECALL, NORMS, LEXICAL DECISIONS, IMAGERY, Lexical decision, MODALITY-EXCLUSIVITY, Abstract and concrete concepts, ABSTRACT WORDS, Dual coding, Context availability, MRC PSYCHOLINGUISTIC DATABASE, Word naming",

author = "Louise Connell and Dermot Lynott",

year = "2012",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.cognition.2012.07.010",

language = "English",

volume = "125",

pages = "452--465",

journal = "Cognition",

issn = "0010-0277",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Strength of perceptual experience predicts word processing performance better than concreteness or imageability

AU - Connell, Louise

AU - Lynott, Dermot

PY - 2012/12

Y1 - 2012/12

N2 - A concepts are traditionally thought to differ from concrete concepts by their lack of perceptual information, which causes them to be processed more slowly and less accurately than perceptually-based concrete concepts. In two studies, we examined this assumption by comparing concreteness and imageability ratings to a set of perceptual strength norms in five separate modalities: sound. taste, touch, smell and vision. Results showed that concreteness and imageability do not reflect the perceptual basis of concepts: concreteness ratings appear to be based on two different intersecting decision criteria, while imageability ratings are visually biased. Analysis of lexical decision and word naming performance showed that maximum perceptual strength (i.e., strength in the dominant perceptual modality) consistently outperformed both concreteness and imageability ratings in accounting for variance in response latency and accuracy. We conclude that so-called concreteness effects in word processing emerge from the perceptual strength of a concept's representation and discuss the implications for theories of conceptual representation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AB - A concepts are traditionally thought to differ from concrete concepts by their lack of perceptual information, which causes them to be processed more slowly and less accurately than perceptually-based concrete concepts. In two studies, we examined this assumption by comparing concreteness and imageability ratings to a set of perceptual strength norms in five separate modalities: sound. taste, touch, smell and vision. Results showed that concreteness and imageability do not reflect the perceptual basis of concepts: concreteness ratings appear to be based on two different intersecting decision criteria, while imageability ratings are visually biased. Analysis of lexical decision and word naming performance showed that maximum perceptual strength (i.e., strength in the dominant perceptual modality) consistently outperformed both concreteness and imageability ratings in accounting for variance in response latency and accuracy. We conclude that so-called concreteness effects in word processing emerge from the perceptual strength of a concept's representation and discuss the implications for theories of conceptual representation. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KW - Concreteness effects

KW - CONTEXT AVAILABILITY

KW - FREQUENCY

KW - Situated simulation

KW - Imageability

KW - Perceptual strength

KW - SEMANTIC DEMENTIA

KW - SERIAL-RECALL

KW - NORMS

KW - LEXICAL DECISIONS

KW - IMAGERY

KW - Lexical decision

KW - MODALITY-EXCLUSIVITY

KW - Abstract and concrete concepts

KW - ABSTRACT WORDS

KW - Dual coding

KW - Context availability

KW - MRC PSYCHOLINGUISTIC DATABASE

KW - Word naming

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867403972&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.cognition.2012.07.010

DO - 10.1016/j.cognition.2012.07.010

M3 - Journal article

VL - 125

SP - 452

EP - 465

JO - Cognition

JF - Cognition

SN - 0010-0277

IS - 3

ER -

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