Abstract
Intuitively, deriving meaning from an abstract image is a uniquely human, idiosyncratic experience. Here we show that, despite having no universally recognised lexical association, abstract images spontaneously elicit specific concepts conveyed by words, with a consistency akin to that of concrete images. We presented a group of naïve participants with abstract picture–word pairs construed as ‘related’ or ‘unrelated’ according to a preliminary norming procedure conducted with different participants. Surprisingly, the naïve participants with no prior exposure to the abstract images or any hints regarding their possible meaning, displayed a reaction time priming effect for ‘related’ versus ‘unrelated’ picture-word pairs. Critically, this behavioural priming effect, and an associated decrease in N400 mean amplitude indexing semantic priming, both correlated significantly with the degree of relatedness established in the preliminary norming procedure. Given that ratings and electrophysiological measures were obtained in different groups of individuals, our results show that abstract images evoke consistent meaning across observers, as has been shown in the case of music.
Highlights
Deriving meaning from an abstract image is a uniquely human, idiosyncratic experience
To assess the generic value of abstract images-concepts links, we collected ratings in two independent groups of participants as well as objective measures of semantic priming derived from the well-established N400 effect
Naïve participants who had had no prior exposure to the abstract images used displayed a behavioural priming effect compatible with the ‘related’ – ‘unrelated’ distinction made on the basis of ratings collected in another, independent group of participants
Summary
Deriving meaning from an abstract image is a uniquely human, idiosyncratic experience. The naïve participants with no prior exposure to the abstract images or any hints regarding their possible meaning, displayed a reaction time priming effect for ‘related’ versus ‘unrelated’ picture-word pairs This behavioural priming effect, and an associated decrease in N400 mean amplitude indexing semantic priming, both correlated significantly with the degree of relatedness established in the preliminary norming procedure. Given that ratings and electrophysiological measures were obtained in different groups of individuals, our results show that abstract images evoke consistent meaning across observers, as has been shown in the case of music Abstract images, such as a works of art, are a powerful means of eliciting individualized emotional reactions and general impressions in the observer[1,2,3]. Assuming that undefinable forms presented in abstract images can partially represent the sensory-visual experiences of abstract concepts, we hypothesized that ‘related’ picture-word pairs would elicit shorter RTs and reduced N400 amplitudes compared with ‘unrelated’ pictures. If regularities in ratings are underpinned by subjective, re-evaluative processing, we expected that any systematic trend in the initial rating study would not carry over to online measures of semantic processing collected in a different group of participants
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