How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison
According to Talmy, in verb-framed languages (e.g., French), the core schema of an event (Path) is lexicalized, leaving the co-event (Manner) in the periphery of the sentence or optional; in satellite-framed languages (e.g., English), the core schema is jointly expressed with the co-event in constru...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | Language and Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1866980823000662/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797257413943885824 |
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| author | Efstathia Soroli |
| author_facet | Efstathia Soroli |
| author_sort | Efstathia Soroli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | According to Talmy, in verb-framed languages (e.g., French), the core schema of an event (Path) is lexicalized, leaving the co-event (Manner) in the periphery of the sentence or optional; in satellite-framed languages (e.g., English), the core schema is jointly expressed with the co-event in construals that lexicalize Manner and express Path peripherally. Some studies suggest that such differences are only surface differences that cannot influence the cognitive processing of events, while others support that they can constrain both verbal and non-verbal processing. This study investigates whether such typological differences, together with other factors, influence visual processing and decision-making. English and French participants were tested in three eye-tracking tasks involving varied Manner–Path configurations and language to different degrees. Participants had to process a target motion event and choose the variant that looked most like the target (non-verbal categorization), then describe the events (production), and perform a similarity judgment after hearing a target sentence (verbal categorization). The results show massive cross-linguistic differences in production and additional partial language effects in visualization and similarity judgment patterns – highly dependent on the salience and nature of events and the degree of language involvement. The findings support a non-modular approach to language–thought relations and a fine-grained vision of the classic lexicalization/conflation theory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:37:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cef057f73dc849d686b1188dfe51d42d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-9808 1866-9859 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:37:15Z |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Language and Cognition |
| spelling | doaj.art-cef057f73dc849d686b1188dfe51d42d2024-03-19T09:50:49ZengCambridge University PressLanguage and Cognition1866-98081866-985914510.1017/langcog.2023.66How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparisonEfstathia Soroli0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2747-9368Laboratoire Savoirs, Textes, Langage (STL), University of Lille, UMR 8163 – CNRS, Lille, FranceAccording to Talmy, in verb-framed languages (e.g., French), the core schema of an event (Path) is lexicalized, leaving the co-event (Manner) in the periphery of the sentence or optional; in satellite-framed languages (e.g., English), the core schema is jointly expressed with the co-event in construals that lexicalize Manner and express Path peripherally. Some studies suggest that such differences are only surface differences that cannot influence the cognitive processing of events, while others support that they can constrain both verbal and non-verbal processing. This study investigates whether such typological differences, together with other factors, influence visual processing and decision-making. English and French participants were tested in three eye-tracking tasks involving varied Manner–Path configurations and language to different degrees. Participants had to process a target motion event and choose the variant that looked most like the target (non-verbal categorization), then describe the events (production), and perform a similarity judgment after hearing a target sentence (verbal categorization). The results show massive cross-linguistic differences in production and additional partial language effects in visualization and similarity judgment patterns – highly dependent on the salience and nature of events and the degree of language involvement. The findings support a non-modular approach to language–thought relations and a fine-grained vision of the classic lexicalization/conflation theory.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1866980823000662/type/journal_articleEnglish/Frencheye-trackinglanguage-thought interfacelinguistic and cognitive processing of eventsPath/Manner salienceproductionreaction timesscene variabilitysimilarity judgmentsvoluntary motion events |
| spellingShingle | Efstathia Soroli How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison Language and Cognition English/French eye-tracking language-thought interface linguistic and cognitive processing of events Path/Manner salience production reaction times scene variability similarity judgments voluntary motion events |
| title | How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison |
| title_full | How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison |
| title_fullStr | How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison |
| title_full_unstemmed | How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison |
| title_short | How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison |
| title_sort | how language influences spatial thinking categorization of motion events and gaze behavior a cross linguistic comparison |
| topic | English/French eye-tracking language-thought interface linguistic and cognitive processing of events Path/Manner salience production reaction times scene variability similarity judgments voluntary motion events |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1866980823000662/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT efstathiasoroli howlanguageinfluencesspatialthinkingcategorizationofmotioneventsandgazebehavioracrosslinguisticcomparison |