Previous studies highlighted spatial compatibility effects other than those strictly arising from... more Previous studies highlighted spatial compatibility effects other than those strictly arising from stimulus-response locations. In particular, the so-called Destination Compatibility (DC) effect refers to faster responses for dynamic (i.e., moving) stimuli the end point of which is spatially compatible with the response key. Four experiments examined whether the DC effect also occurs with static visual stimuli symbolically representing either motion destination alone (Experiment 1a), or both motion origin and destination (Experiments 1b, 2a, and 2b). Overall, our results are consistent in showing a DC effect; most importantly, the present findings reveal a predominance of the effect of destination of motion over that of origin, even when both the starting and ending positions of the stimulus are symbolically represented and participants are instructed to respond according to motion origin. This finding suggests that the DC effect is independent from other stimulus-response compatibil...
Gaze direction is an important social cue for understanding the intentions of other people. Indee... more Gaze direction is an important social cue for understanding the intentions of other people. Indeed, interacting with others requires the ability to encode their current focus of attention in order to predict their future actions. Previous studies have showed that when asked to detect or identify a target, people are faster if shown a gaze oriented toward rather than away from that target. Most importantly, there is evidence that the emotion conveyed by the face with the averted gaze matters. We further tested the interplay between gaze and face emotion in the context of manipulable objects to understand whether and to what extent other people's gaze influences our own actions toward objects. Participants judged whether a target graspable object was upright or inverted after viewing a face cue with a central or averted gaze. Importantly, the target's handle could be oriented toward the gazed-at location or the opposite side such that gaze and handle were corresponding or non-...
Recent studies suggest that covering the face inhibits the recognition of identity and emotional ... more Recent studies suggest that covering the face inhibits the recognition of identity and emotional expressions. However, it might also make the eyes more salient, since they are a reliable index to orient our social and spatial attention. This study investigates (1) whether the pervasive interaction with people with face masks fostered by the COVID-19 pandemic modulates the processing of spatial information essential to shift attention according to other’s eye-gaze direction (i.e., gaze-cueing effect: GCE), and (2) whether this potential modulation interacts with motor responses (i.e., Simon effect). Participants were presented with face cues orienting their gaze to a congruent or incongruent target letter location (gaze-cueing paradigm) while wearing a surgical mask (Mask), a patch (Control), or nothing (No-Mask). The task required to discriminate the identity of the lateralized target letters by pressing one of two lateralized response keys, in a corresponding or a non-corresponding...
Social proximity has since ever been evaluated as positive. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19... more Social proximity has since ever been evaluated as positive. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reduced our social relations to avoid spreading the contagion. The present study aims to investigate people's current assessment of social proximity by using an affective priming paradigm (APP). We hypothesized that if our evaluation of social proximity is positive, then words with positive valence (e.g., relaxed) should be processed faster when preceded by images of social proximity than social distancing. On the contrary, if our evaluation of social proximity is turning negative, then words with a negative valence (e.g., sad) should be processed faster when preceded by images of social proximity than social distancing. To this end, we presented participants with prime images showing line drawings representing humans in situations of proximity or distancing and asked them to evaluate the valence (i.e., positive or negative) of a subsequent target word. In ...
Figure 1: Example of written and spoken same and different-modality prime and target sentences in... more Figure 1: Example of written and spoken same and different-modality prime and target sentences in the Different-Different (DD) Different-Same (DS), Same-Different (SD), and Same-Same (SS) conditions. METHOD Participants: 60 students (41 females; mean age: 22.31, SD: 2.05). Task: lexical decision task (LDT) on concept-property target pairs presented either visually or aurally (see figure 1 for an example of the experimental conditions).
Two experiments explore the action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two s... more Two experiments explore the action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two symmetrical handles. objects typically used in the kitchen (e.g., mezzaluna knife) and objects typically used during spare time (e.g., joypad) were presented during a categorization task in four experimental conditions: compatible grasping object, incompatible grasping object, object alone, two-handles grasping object. results show a more difficult categorization when objects were shown as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side in each of two different response modes (bimanual: experiment 1; unimanual: experiment 2). We discuss implications of these results for action potentiation and spatial coding theories
Social distancing and isolation have been imposed to contrast the spread of COVID-19. The present... more Social distancing and isolation have been imposed to contrast the spread of COVID-19. The present study investigates whether social distancing affects our cognitive system, in particular the processing of different types of brand logos in different moments of the pandemic spread in Italy. In a size discrimination task, six different logos belonging to three categories (letters, symbols, and social images) were presented in their original format and spaced. Two samples of participants were tested: one just after the pandemic spread in Italy, the other one after 6 months. Results showed an overall distancing effect (i.e., spaced stimuli are processed slower than original ones) that interacted with the sample, revealing a significant effect only for participants belonging to the second sample. However, both groups showed a distancing effect modulated by the type of logo as it only emerged for social images. Results suggest that social distancing behaviors have been integrated in our cognitive system as they appear to affect our perception of distance when social images are involved.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 2017
Since Tversky's (1977) seminal investigation, the triangle inequality, along with symmetry and mi... more Since Tversky's (1977) seminal investigation, the triangle inequality, along with symmetry and minimality, have had a central role in investigations of the fundamental constraints on human similarity judgments. The meaning of minimality and symmetry in similarity judgments has been straightforward, but this is not the case for the triangle inequality. Expressed in terms of dissimilarities, and assuming a simple, linear function between dissimilarities and distances, the triangle inequality constraint implies that human behaviour should be consistent with Dissimilarity(A,B) + Dissimilarity(B,C) ≥ Dissimilarity(A,C), where A, B, and C are any three stimuli. We show how we can translate this constraint into one for similarities, using Shepard's (1987) humans violate the multiplicative triangle inequality? An empirical demonstration shows that they can.
Perspectives on Abstract Concepts. Cognition, language and communication, 2019
An emerging class of theories of knowledge assumes that the representation and processing of conc... more An emerging class of theories of knowledge assumes that the representation and processing of concepts is achieved by reactivating multiple aspects of experience. Abstract concepts such as freedom and justice constitute a challenge for these theories because they have no clearly identifiable referent that we can experience. The Words As social Tools theory (WAT) posits that while both concrete and abstract concepts activate sensorimotor networks, the linguistic network is activated more by abstract than by concrete concepts given that the mode of acquisition of abstract concepts relies more on language. In this chapter we extend this argument and report results from an experiment with the Extrinsic Simon task suggesting that when we process abstract words we re-enact the experience of their acquisition and/or explain to ourselves their meaning.
Several behavioral studies show that semantic content influences reach-to-grasp movement response... more Several behavioral studies show that semantic content influences reach-to-grasp movement responses. For instance, Glenberg and Kaschak (2002) showed that judging sensibility of sentences was easier when the movement implied by the sentence was in the same direction as the movement required by the response. Furthermore, Glover, Rosenbaum, Graham, and Dixon (2004) demonstrated that reading words describing objects activated motor tendencies, which influenced the grasping of target blocks. Interestingly, Myung, Blumstein, and Sedivy (2004) showed similar effects of semantics with a lexical decision task that required keypress responses: Performance on the target word was better when semantically dissimilar prime-target pairs shared manipulation information (e.g. typewriter and piano).
Previous research investigating handle-response compatibility effects with graspable objects used... more Previous research investigating handle-response compatibility effects with graspable objects used different categories of objects as stimuli, regardless of their specific, intrinsic characteristics. The current study explores whether different types of objects' characteristics may elicit different types of spatial compatibility, that is, handle-response and response-effect compatibility as well as their potential interaction. In Experiment 1, objects having a graspable handle opposite to either a visible functional component (i.e., handle-function objects: a teapot) or a latent functional component (handle-only objects: a pitcher lacking the spout) were presented separately in different blocks. Both the handle and the goal-directed functional components of these objects were located on the horizontal axis. In Experiment 2, handle-only objects had a handle located on the horizontal axis and a latent functional component located on the vertical axis (e.g., a cup). In both experiments, participants were required to judge the material (plastic and metal) the object was made of. Results showed that the handle-response compatibility effect was sensitive to whether the actions consequences of object manipulation took place on the horizontal rather than on the vertical axis.
Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses wh... more Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses when participants judged the upright or inverted orientation of photographed one-handled graspable objects. In three experiments, we explored whether this effect still holds for symmetric graspable objects that are usually grasped by two hands (i.e. two-handled objects; e.g. shears). In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were required to perform a between-hand response in order to categorize cooking or amusement objects appearing as grasped from either an allocentric (Experiment 1) or an egocentric perspective (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, they were required to perform a within-hand response to categorize the same stimuli appearing as grasped from an egocentric perspective. Across all three experiments, results showed that categorization was more difficult when the objects were displayed as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side. We discuss the implications of these results for theories of action potentiation and spatial coding and suggest that different mechanisms may be recruited depending on the required action (i.e. response mode).
Two experiments explore the Action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two s... more Two experiments explore the Action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two symmetrical handles. Objects typically used in the kitchen (e.g., mezzaluna knife) and objects typically used during spare time (e.g., joypad) were presented during a categorization task in four experimental conditions: compatible grasping object, incompatible grasping object, object alone, two-handles grasping object. Results show a more difficult categorization when objects were shown as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side in each of two different response modes (bimanual: Experiment 1; unimanual: Experiment 2). We discuss implications of these results for action potentiation and spatial coding theories.
Previous studies highlighted spatial compatibility effects other than those strictly arising from... more Previous studies highlighted spatial compatibility effects other than those strictly arising from stimulus-response locations. In particular, the so-called Destination Compatibility (DC) effect refers to faster responses for dynamic (i.e., moving) stimuli the end point of which is spatially compatible with the response key. Four experiments examined whether the DC effect also occurs with static visual stimuli symbolically representing either motion destination alone (Experiment 1a), or both motion origin and destination (Experiments 1b, 2a, and 2b). Overall, our results are consistent in showing a DC effect; most importantly, the present findings reveal a predominance of the effect of destination of motion over that of origin, even when both the starting and ending positions of the stimulus are symbolically represented and participants are instructed to respond according to motion origin. This finding suggests that the DC effect is independent from other stimulus-response compatibil...
Gaze direction is an important social cue for understanding the intentions of other people. Indee... more Gaze direction is an important social cue for understanding the intentions of other people. Indeed, interacting with others requires the ability to encode their current focus of attention in order to predict their future actions. Previous studies have showed that when asked to detect or identify a target, people are faster if shown a gaze oriented toward rather than away from that target. Most importantly, there is evidence that the emotion conveyed by the face with the averted gaze matters. We further tested the interplay between gaze and face emotion in the context of manipulable objects to understand whether and to what extent other people's gaze influences our own actions toward objects. Participants judged whether a target graspable object was upright or inverted after viewing a face cue with a central or averted gaze. Importantly, the target's handle could be oriented toward the gazed-at location or the opposite side such that gaze and handle were corresponding or non-...
Recent studies suggest that covering the face inhibits the recognition of identity and emotional ... more Recent studies suggest that covering the face inhibits the recognition of identity and emotional expressions. However, it might also make the eyes more salient, since they are a reliable index to orient our social and spatial attention. This study investigates (1) whether the pervasive interaction with people with face masks fostered by the COVID-19 pandemic modulates the processing of spatial information essential to shift attention according to other’s eye-gaze direction (i.e., gaze-cueing effect: GCE), and (2) whether this potential modulation interacts with motor responses (i.e., Simon effect). Participants were presented with face cues orienting their gaze to a congruent or incongruent target letter location (gaze-cueing paradigm) while wearing a surgical mask (Mask), a patch (Control), or nothing (No-Mask). The task required to discriminate the identity of the lateralized target letters by pressing one of two lateralized response keys, in a corresponding or a non-corresponding...
Social proximity has since ever been evaluated as positive. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19... more Social proximity has since ever been evaluated as positive. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reduced our social relations to avoid spreading the contagion. The present study aims to investigate people's current assessment of social proximity by using an affective priming paradigm (APP). We hypothesized that if our evaluation of social proximity is positive, then words with positive valence (e.g., relaxed) should be processed faster when preceded by images of social proximity than social distancing. On the contrary, if our evaluation of social proximity is turning negative, then words with a negative valence (e.g., sad) should be processed faster when preceded by images of social proximity than social distancing. To this end, we presented participants with prime images showing line drawings representing humans in situations of proximity or distancing and asked them to evaluate the valence (i.e., positive or negative) of a subsequent target word. In ...
Figure 1: Example of written and spoken same and different-modality prime and target sentences in... more Figure 1: Example of written and spoken same and different-modality prime and target sentences in the Different-Different (DD) Different-Same (DS), Same-Different (SD), and Same-Same (SS) conditions. METHOD Participants: 60 students (41 females; mean age: 22.31, SD: 2.05). Task: lexical decision task (LDT) on concept-property target pairs presented either visually or aurally (see figure 1 for an example of the experimental conditions).
Two experiments explore the action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two s... more Two experiments explore the action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two symmetrical handles. objects typically used in the kitchen (e.g., mezzaluna knife) and objects typically used during spare time (e.g., joypad) were presented during a categorization task in four experimental conditions: compatible grasping object, incompatible grasping object, object alone, two-handles grasping object. results show a more difficult categorization when objects were shown as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side in each of two different response modes (bimanual: experiment 1; unimanual: experiment 2). We discuss implications of these results for action potentiation and spatial coding theories
Social distancing and isolation have been imposed to contrast the spread of COVID-19. The present... more Social distancing and isolation have been imposed to contrast the spread of COVID-19. The present study investigates whether social distancing affects our cognitive system, in particular the processing of different types of brand logos in different moments of the pandemic spread in Italy. In a size discrimination task, six different logos belonging to three categories (letters, symbols, and social images) were presented in their original format and spaced. Two samples of participants were tested: one just after the pandemic spread in Italy, the other one after 6 months. Results showed an overall distancing effect (i.e., spaced stimuli are processed slower than original ones) that interacted with the sample, revealing a significant effect only for participants belonging to the second sample. However, both groups showed a distancing effect modulated by the type of logo as it only emerged for social images. Results suggest that social distancing behaviors have been integrated in our cognitive system as they appear to affect our perception of distance when social images are involved.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 2017
Since Tversky's (1977) seminal investigation, the triangle inequality, along with symmetry and mi... more Since Tversky's (1977) seminal investigation, the triangle inequality, along with symmetry and minimality, have had a central role in investigations of the fundamental constraints on human similarity judgments. The meaning of minimality and symmetry in similarity judgments has been straightforward, but this is not the case for the triangle inequality. Expressed in terms of dissimilarities, and assuming a simple, linear function between dissimilarities and distances, the triangle inequality constraint implies that human behaviour should be consistent with Dissimilarity(A,B) + Dissimilarity(B,C) ≥ Dissimilarity(A,C), where A, B, and C are any three stimuli. We show how we can translate this constraint into one for similarities, using Shepard's (1987) humans violate the multiplicative triangle inequality? An empirical demonstration shows that they can.
Perspectives on Abstract Concepts. Cognition, language and communication, 2019
An emerging class of theories of knowledge assumes that the representation and processing of conc... more An emerging class of theories of knowledge assumes that the representation and processing of concepts is achieved by reactivating multiple aspects of experience. Abstract concepts such as freedom and justice constitute a challenge for these theories because they have no clearly identifiable referent that we can experience. The Words As social Tools theory (WAT) posits that while both concrete and abstract concepts activate sensorimotor networks, the linguistic network is activated more by abstract than by concrete concepts given that the mode of acquisition of abstract concepts relies more on language. In this chapter we extend this argument and report results from an experiment with the Extrinsic Simon task suggesting that when we process abstract words we re-enact the experience of their acquisition and/or explain to ourselves their meaning.
Several behavioral studies show that semantic content influences reach-to-grasp movement response... more Several behavioral studies show that semantic content influences reach-to-grasp movement responses. For instance, Glenberg and Kaschak (2002) showed that judging sensibility of sentences was easier when the movement implied by the sentence was in the same direction as the movement required by the response. Furthermore, Glover, Rosenbaum, Graham, and Dixon (2004) demonstrated that reading words describing objects activated motor tendencies, which influenced the grasping of target blocks. Interestingly, Myung, Blumstein, and Sedivy (2004) showed similar effects of semantics with a lexical decision task that required keypress responses: Performance on the target word was better when semantically dissimilar prime-target pairs shared manipulation information (e.g. typewriter and piano).
Previous research investigating handle-response compatibility effects with graspable objects used... more Previous research investigating handle-response compatibility effects with graspable objects used different categories of objects as stimuli, regardless of their specific, intrinsic characteristics. The current study explores whether different types of objects' characteristics may elicit different types of spatial compatibility, that is, handle-response and response-effect compatibility as well as their potential interaction. In Experiment 1, objects having a graspable handle opposite to either a visible functional component (i.e., handle-function objects: a teapot) or a latent functional component (handle-only objects: a pitcher lacking the spout) were presented separately in different blocks. Both the handle and the goal-directed functional components of these objects were located on the horizontal axis. In Experiment 2, handle-only objects had a handle located on the horizontal axis and a latent functional component located on the vertical axis (e.g., a cup). In both experiments, participants were required to judge the material (plastic and metal) the object was made of. Results showed that the handle-response compatibility effect was sensitive to whether the actions consequences of object manipulation took place on the horizontal rather than on the vertical axis.
Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses wh... more Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses when participants judged the upright or inverted orientation of photographed one-handled graspable objects. In three experiments, we explored whether this effect still holds for symmetric graspable objects that are usually grasped by two hands (i.e. two-handled objects; e.g. shears). In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were required to perform a between-hand response in order to categorize cooking or amusement objects appearing as grasped from either an allocentric (Experiment 1) or an egocentric perspective (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, they were required to perform a within-hand response to categorize the same stimuli appearing as grasped from an egocentric perspective. Across all three experiments, results showed that categorization was more difficult when the objects were displayed as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side. We discuss the implications of these results for theories of action potentiation and spatial coding and suggest that different mechanisms may be recruited depending on the required action (i.e. response mode).
Two experiments explore the Action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two s... more Two experiments explore the Action Potentiation effect with grasped bimanual objects having two symmetrical handles. Objects typically used in the kitchen (e.g., mezzaluna knife) and objects typically used during spare time (e.g., joypad) were presented during a categorization task in four experimental conditions: compatible grasping object, incompatible grasping object, object alone, two-handles grasping object. Results show a more difficult categorization when objects were shown as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side in each of two different response modes (bimanual: Experiment 1; unimanual: Experiment 2). We discuss implications of these results for action potentiation and spatial coding theories.
Previous studies showed that the sequential verification of different sensory modality properties... more Previous studies showed that the sequential verification of different sensory modality properties for concepts (e.g., BLENDER-loud; BANANA-yellow) incurs a processing cost, known as the modality-switch effect (Pecher et al. 2003; 2004). We assessed the influence of the mode of presentation of stimuli on the modality-switch effect in a property verification priming paradigm. Participants were required to perform a property verification task on a target sentence (e.g., “butter is yellowish”, “leaves rustle”) presented either visually or aurally after having been presented with a prime sentence (e.g., “the light is flickering”, “the sound is echoing”) that could either share both, one or none of the target’s mode of presentation and content modality. Results showed that the presentation and the content-driven effects were not cumulative. We conclude that the MSE is a two-fold effect which can occur at two different levels of information processing (i.e., perceptual and semantic).
Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses wh... more Previous research has shown an effect of handle-response correspondence on key-press responses when participants judged the upright or inverted orientation of photographed one-handled graspable objects. In three experiments, we explored whether this effect still holds for symmetric graspable objects that are usually grasped by two hands (i.e. two-handled objects; e.g. shears). In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were required to perform a between-hand response in order to categorize cooking or amusement objects appearing as grasped from either an allocentric (Experiment 1) or an egocentric perspective (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, they were required to perform a within-hand response to categorize the same stimuli appearing as grasped from an egocentric perspective. Across all three experiments, results showed that categorization was more difficult when the objects were displayed as grasped on the opposite side than the response rather than on the same side. We discuss the implications of these results for theories of action potentiation and spatial coding and suggest that different mechanisms may be recruited depending on the required action (i.e. response mode).
This document collects the posters that have been presented at the International symposium Abstra... more This document collects the posters that have been presented at the International symposium Abstract Concepts 2016, Amsterdam. The authors have agreed to share their posters on this platform, in this collection, but the copyright of each poster remains their personal property. (https://abstractconceptsnet.wordpress.com/)
Esame finale anno 2017 Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the support of those I have collabo... more Esame finale anno 2017 Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the support of those I have collaborated with at the University of Bologna during the past three years:
My dissertation sets out to contribute to the ongoing theoretical debate on the format of concept... more My dissertation sets out to contribute to the ongoing theoretical debate on the format of conceptual representation from both a theoretic (Part 1) and an experimental point of view (Part 2). From a theoretic point of view, it is attempted to show that the amodal and grounded views do not bear incompatible claims. On the contrary, grounded cognitition has complemented traditional approaches taking into account the modalities, the body, and the environment’s influence on cognitive mechanisms. From an experimental point of view, this dissertation is committed to testing predictions coming from grounded accounts of knowledge. Specifically, it is aimed at verifying the assumption that modality-specific representations underlie concepts and conceptual processing through the investigation of the Modality-Switch Effect, a cost for performance in terms of speed and accuracy occurring when two different sensory modality properties for concepts alternate compared to when the same sensory modal...
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Papers by Elisa Scerrati
is activated more by abstract than by concrete concepts given that the mode of acquisition of abstract concepts relies more on language. In this chapter we extend this argument and report results from an experiment with the Extrinsic Simon task suggesting that when we process abstract words we re-enact the experience of their acquisition and/or explain to ourselves their meaning.
is activated more by abstract than by concrete concepts given that the mode of acquisition of abstract concepts relies more on language. In this chapter we extend this argument and report results from an experiment with the Extrinsic Simon task suggesting that when we process abstract words we re-enact the experience of their acquisition and/or explain to ourselves their meaning.
The authors have agreed to share their posters on this platform, in this collection, but the copyright of each poster remains their personal property. (https://abstractconceptsnet.wordpress.com/)