Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing?
Many theories of semantic representation propose that simulations of sensorimotor experience contribute to language processing. This can be seen in the body-object interaction effect (BOI; how easily the human body can interact with a word’s referent). Words with high BOI ratings (e.g., ball) are pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.976954/full |
| _version_ | 1797951439963684864 |
|---|---|
| author | Emiko J. Muraki Emiko J. Muraki Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Andrea B. Protzner Andrea B. Protzner Penny M. Pexman Penny M. Pexman |
| author_facet | Emiko J. Muraki Emiko J. Muraki Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Andrea B. Protzner Andrea B. Protzner Penny M. Pexman Penny M. Pexman |
| author_sort | Emiko J. Muraki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many theories of semantic representation propose that simulations of sensorimotor experience contribute to language processing. This can be seen in the body-object interaction effect (BOI; how easily the human body can interact with a word’s referent). Words with high BOI ratings (e.g., ball) are processed more quickly than words with low BOI ratings (e.g., cloud) in various language tasks. This effect can be modulated by task demands. Previous research established that when asked to decide if a word is an object (entity condition), a BOI effect is observed, but when asked to decide if a word is an action (action condition), there is no BOI effect. It is unclear whether the null behavioral effect in the action condition reflects top-down modulation of task-relevant sensorimotor information or the absence of bottom-up activation of sensorimotor simulations. We investigated this question using EEG. In Experiment 1 we replicated the previous behavioral findings. In Experiment 2, 50 participants were assigned to either the entity or action conditions and responded to the same word stimuli. In both conditions we observed differences in ERP components related to the BOI effect. In the entity condition the P2 mean amplitude was significantly more positive for high compared to low BOI words. In the action condition the N400 peak latency was significantly later for high compared to low BOI words. Our findings suggest that BOI information is generated bottom-up regardless of task demands and modulated by top-down processes that recruit sensorimotor information relevant to the task decision. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:30:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b06767a3c5b4b71addbc18e192e645a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:30:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b06767a3c5b4b71addbc18e192e645a2023-01-17T05:01:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612023-01-011610.3389/fnhum.2022.976954976954Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing?Emiko J. Muraki0Emiko J. Muraki1Alison Doyle2Alison Doyle3Andrea B. Protzner4Andrea B. Protzner5Penny M. Pexman6Penny M. Pexman7Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaMany theories of semantic representation propose that simulations of sensorimotor experience contribute to language processing. This can be seen in the body-object interaction effect (BOI; how easily the human body can interact with a word’s referent). Words with high BOI ratings (e.g., ball) are processed more quickly than words with low BOI ratings (e.g., cloud) in various language tasks. This effect can be modulated by task demands. Previous research established that when asked to decide if a word is an object (entity condition), a BOI effect is observed, but when asked to decide if a word is an action (action condition), there is no BOI effect. It is unclear whether the null behavioral effect in the action condition reflects top-down modulation of task-relevant sensorimotor information or the absence of bottom-up activation of sensorimotor simulations. We investigated this question using EEG. In Experiment 1 we replicated the previous behavioral findings. In Experiment 2, 50 participants were assigned to either the entity or action conditions and responded to the same word stimuli. In both conditions we observed differences in ERP components related to the BOI effect. In the entity condition the P2 mean amplitude was significantly more positive for high compared to low BOI words. In the action condition the N400 peak latency was significantly later for high compared to low BOI words. Our findings suggest that BOI information is generated bottom-up regardless of task demands and modulated by top-down processes that recruit sensorimotor information relevant to the task decision.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.976954/fullembodied cognitionsemantic representationEEGERPbody-object interaction |
| spellingShingle | Emiko J. Muraki Emiko J. Muraki Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Andrea B. Protzner Andrea B. Protzner Penny M. Pexman Penny M. Pexman Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience embodied cognition semantic representation EEG ERP body-object interaction |
| title | Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? |
| title_full | Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? |
| title_fullStr | Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? |
| title_short | Context matters: How do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing? |
| title_sort | context matters how do task demands modulate the recruitment of sensorimotor information during language processing |
| topic | embodied cognition semantic representation EEG ERP body-object interaction |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.976954/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emikojmuraki contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT emikojmuraki contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT alisondoyle contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT alisondoyle contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT andreabprotzner contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT andreabprotzner contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT pennympexman contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing AT pennympexman contextmattershowdotaskdemandsmodulatetherecruitmentofsensorimotorinformationduringlanguageprocessing |