Abstract
Embodied cognition postulates that perceptual and motor processes serve higher-order cognitive faculties like language. A major challenge for embodied cognition concerns the grounding of abstract concepts. Here we zoom in on abstract spatial concepts and ask the question to what extent the sensorimotor system is involved in processing these. Most of the empirical support in favor of an embodied perspective on (abstract) spatial information has derived from so-called compatibility effects in which a task-irrelevant feature either facilitates (for compatible trials) or hinders (in incompatible trials) responding to the task-relevant feature. This type of effect has been interpreted in terms of (task-irrelevant) feature-induced response activation. The problem with such approach is that incompatible features generate an array of task-relevant and –irrelevant activations [e.g., in primary motor cortex (M1)], and lateral hemispheric interactions render it difficult to assign credit to the task-irrelevant feature per se in driving these activations. Here, we aim to obtain a cleaner indication of response activation on the basis of abstract spatial information. We employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to probe response activation of effectors in response to semantic, task-irrelevant stimuli (i.e., the words left and right) that did not require an overt response. Results revealed larger motor evoked potentials (MEPs) for the right (left) index finger when the word right (left) was presented. Our findings provide support for the grounding of abstract spatial concepts in the sensorimotor system.
Highlights
Embodied cognition interprets cognition as grounded in sensorimotor representations
The current results add to these findings by providing the strongest evidence so far that the processing of the abstract, spatial concepts ‘left’ and ‘right’ is associated with activation (i.e., M1 excitability) in sensorimotor systems—when critically no overt response was required
This is the first time that motor activation on the basis of abstract spatial information has been demonstrated at the level of M1 when response execution and response competition driven by multiple and potentially incompatible stimulus-features is prevented
Summary
Embodied cognition interprets cognition as grounded in sensorimotor representations. This perspective on cognition has been supported, for example, by studies that demonstrated effector-specific activation of sensorimotor cortices during reading of action related words (Hauk and Pulvermüller, 2004; Hauk et al, 2004). While there exists ample support for sensorimotor grounding of concrete stimuli, there is an ongoing debate about how and to what extent abstract concepts are grounded in sensorimotor systems (for a review, see Pecher et al, 2011; Kiefer and Pulvermüller, 2012). In order to relate abstract concepts to sensorimotor representations, frameworks were developed based on semantic processors that handle interpretation of concrete as well as abstract concepts (Mahon and Caramazza, 2008). We will first outline the previous work that we build on
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
