О истакнутим асоцијативним истраживањима на Западу у 21. веку и могућностима њихове примене у (домаћој) лингвистици

удући да су домаћа асоцијативна истраживања досада била окрену-та Истоку и руској традицији, циљ је овог прегледа да прикаже нашој јавности мање позната, а изразито занимљива западна истраживања, која би могла по-служити овдашњим лингвистима у будућности. Асоцијације се примењују у више грана друштвених наука, али овде ћемо се усредсредити на области најближе домаћим истраживачима и на њихова достигнућа: удруживање асоцијативног метода с корпусима и његово коришћење како би се олакшала претрага речника; примена овог метода како би се изградили модели менталног лексикона; асоција-ције у примењеној линвгистици, у анализама везаним за усвајање страног језика

Unexpected Aspects of Expectancy in Music: A Spreading Activation Explanation

A well agreed discourse in music perception research is that affective response can be generated by music when a tendency in the music is delayed or inhibited. There is a consensus that this tendency is statistically driven, derived from exposure to culturally situated musical idioms. By presenting a neural-network inspired spreading activation model (SAM) this paper argues that the nature of the tendency is worthy of further investigation. SAM organises the music stream perceived by the listener continuously into segments such that a match with an existing ‘mental representation’ (node) is found, which is then linked to the node for the previously segmented part of the music stream, with the link between these nodes strengthening and consolidating with exposure. The currently activated segment (the music being sounded) will prime the best matching (strongest linked) node available, generating expectancy. Expectancy is defined as the most strongly primed segment, and emerges dynamically through experience with environmental and musical contexts, rather than schematic or prototypical means. Expectancy is the specific exemplar instance that the activated (currently sounding) segment of music and contextual factors prime. This hypothesis of veridical dominance has implications for enduring aspects of music expectancy theory: (1) individual experiences matter in the formation of expectations; (2) expectations are a dynamic process, that change and are updated with experience; (3) context plays a critical role in expectancy; and (4) schema, prototypes and statistical accounts of expectation should be treated as convenient approximations of underlying cognitive processes

Adjusting Sample Sizes for Different Categories of Embodied Cognition Research

Introduction Research in the field of embodied cognition is occupied with a variety of research questions stemming from the idea that cognition is deeply connected with bodily aspects such as perception and action (Barsalou, 1999, 2008). However, some embodiment studies have been identified to exhibit problems such as non-replicable results (Lakens, 2014). With this article, we wish to accomplish three aims: exemplifying ways of categorizing embodied cognition research in an informative manner; providing guidelines on how to identify problematic study designs; suggesting solutions for potentially problematic designs. Within the field of embodied cognition, several aspects are investigated as outlined by Wilson (2002). One example for embodiment mentioned by Wilson (2002) is gesturing (for an overview on gesturing, see Hostetter and Alibali, 2008). Embodied cognition theory can be used to analyze the relation between gestures and mental processes (e.g., Hostetter and Alibali, 2008). Furthermore, there is a debate around the question whether language and meaning are grounded in perceptual contents experienced through the body (e.g., Borghi et al., 2004; for an overview on grounded cognition, see Barsalou, 2010). Besides research on cognition, principles of embodied cognition have been applied to fields such as social psychology (see Meier et al., 2012, for an overview) and educational psychology (see Paas and Sweller, 2012, for an overview). For instance, research on embodiment in the context of social cognition has provided evidence for the claim that bodily sensations such as weight can alter judgments on importance (e.g., Ackerman et al., 2010). In educational psychology, one application of embodiment theory is the design of interactive learning environments (e.g., Johnson-Glenberg et al., 2014). In response to the current replication crisis in psychology (for discussions, see Pashler and Wagenmakers, 2012; Maxwell et al., 2015), several solutions have been proposed to improve the quality of psychological research (e.g., Chambers, 2013; Simons, 2014; LeBel, 2015; for overviews, see Ferguson, 2015; Zwaan et al., 2017). Benjamin et al. (2018) argue for a change of the standard 0.05 alpha level and instead support to lower the default alpha value for novel findings in the field of psychology to 0.005. Importantly, the sample size and power of studies have been described as pivotal contributors to replicable results (Fraley and Vazire, 2014). Multiple types of embodied cognition research are facing the problem of delivering non-replicable results as discussed in the literature (e.g., Rabelo et al., 2015). Perugini et al. (2014) present a method for the calculation of sample sizes for replication studies and confirmatory research that takes into account that observed effect sizes may be inaccurate estimates. They suggest to conduct sample size calculations using an effect size that is based on the lower bounds of the confidence interval computed for an observed effect size (Perugini et al., 2014). Another method is presented by Simonsohn (2015), who makes the argument that sample size calculations for replication studies should not merely use the effect sizes reported in the original research that is to be replicated. He explains that by increasing the sample size by the factor of 2.5, a replication study can be used to assess whether an effect is too small to have been appropriately captured in the original study (Simonsohn, 2015). This method has already been used in a recent replication study on embodied cognition effects (Ronay et al., 2017). We suggest to use one of the aforementioned methods of sample size calculation for studies involving embodiment-based manipulation types that are known for potential problems. In the following, we will present three important aspects that can be used to check whether an embodied cognition study design will need amendments such as an increased sample size

The Allocation of Valenced Percepts Onto 3D Space

Research on the metaphorical mapping of valenced concepts onto space indicates that positive, neutral, and negative concepts are mapped onto upward, midward, and downward locations, respectively. More recently, this type of research has been tested for the very first time in 3D physical space. The findings corroborate the mapping of valenced concepts onto the vertical space as described above but further show that positive and negative concepts are placed close to and away from the body; neutral concepts are placed midway. The current study aimed at investigating whether valenced perceptual stimuli are positioned onto 3D space akin to the way valenced concepts are positioned. By using a unique device known as the cognition cube, participants placed visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory stimuli on 3D space. The results mimicked the placing of valenced concepts onto 3D space; i.e., positive percepts were placed in upward and close-to-the-body locations and negative percepts were placed in downward and away-from-the-body locations; neutral percepts were placed midway. These pattern of results was more pronounced in the case of visual stimuli, followed by auditory, tactile, and olfactory stimuli.Significance StatementJust recently, a unique device called “the cognition cube” (CC) enabled to find that positive words are mapped onto upward and close-to-the-body locations and negative words are mapped onto downward and away-from-the-body locations; neutral words are placed midway. This way of placing words in relation to the body is consistent with an approach-avoidance effect such that “good” and “bad” things are kept close to and away from one’s body. We demonstrate for the very first time that this same pattern emerges when visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory perceptual stimuli are placed on 3D physical space. We believe these results are significant in that the CC can be used as a new tool to diagnose emotion-related disorders

The Abstract Language: Symbolic Cogniton And Its Relationship To Embodiment

Embodied theories presume that concepts are modality specific while symbolic theories suggest that all modalities for a given concept are integrated. Symbolic and embodied theories do fairly well with explaining and describing concrete concepts. Specifically, embodied theories seem well suited to describing the actual content of a concept while symbolic theories provide insight into how concepts operate. Conversely, neither symbolic nor embodied theories have been fully sufficient when attempting to describe and explain abstract concepts. Several pluralistic accounts have been put forth to describe how the semantic/lexical system interacts with the conceptual system. In this respect, they attempt to “embody” abstract concepts to the same extent as concrete concepts. Nevertheless, a concise and comprehensive theory for explaining how we learn/understand abstract concepts to the extent that we learn/understand concrete concepts remains elusive. One goal of the present review paper is to consider if abstract concepts can be defined by a unified theory or if subsets of abstract concepts will be defined by separate theories. Of particular focus will be Symbolic Interdependency Theory (SIT). It will be argued that SIT is suitable for grounding abstract concepts, as this theory infers that symbols bootstrap meaning from other symbols, highlighting the importance of abstract-to-abstract mapping in the same way that concrete-to-abstract mappings are created. Research will be considered to help outline a cohesive strategy for describing and understanding abstract concepts. Finally, as research has demonstrated efficiencies with concrete concept processing, analogous efficiencies will be explored for developing an understanding of abstract concepts. Such efforts could have both theoretical and practical implications for bolstering our knowledge of concept learning

Motivación, tolerancia a la frustración y satisfacción en contexto escolar: tres escalas breves

This study proposed the design of three brief scales coherent with and contributing to the pedagogical perspective of schoolteachers, aiming to enhance self-regulated learning and psychological well-being of students. With the participation of teachers and other professionals who provided feedback throughout the process, scales for school motivation (ME), frustration tolerance (TF), and school satisfaction (SE) were designed and validated among 1260 students from 7th to 12th grade (57.7% female, mean age M=14.9 years, SD=1.9) belonging to three educational institutions in northern Chile. Descriptive, correlational, reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) measures obtained indicated adequate psychometric behavior in all scales. As a result of the validation process, the report indicates that the instruments meet psychometric criteria for application in the school context and contribute to identifying strengths and motivational, affective, and satisfaction needs of students, relevant to their processes of self-regulated learning and psychological well-being.Este estudio propuso el diseño de tres escalas breves coherentes con y aportadoras a la perspectiva pedagógica de profesores escolares, para la mejora del aprendizaje autorregulado y el bienestar psicológico estudiantil. Con participación de docentes y otros profesionales que retroalimentaron el proceso, se diseñaron escalas de motivación escolar (ME), tolerancia a la frustración (TF) y satisfacción escolar (SE), luego validadas en 1260 estudiantes de 7° a 12° grado, (57.7% mujeres, edad M= 14.9 años, DS=1.9) pertenecientes a tres establecimientos educacionales del norte de Chile. Las medidas descriptivas, correlacionales, de confiabilidad, y del análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) obtenidas indicaron un comportamiento psicométrico adecuado en todas las escalas. Como resultado del proceso de validación, se reporta que los instrumentos cumplen criterios psicométricos para ser aplicados en contexto escolar, y aportar en la identificación de fortalezas y necesidades motivacionales, afectivas y de satisfacción en los estudiantes, relevantes para sus procesos de aprendizaje autorregulado y su bienestar psicológico

Unexpected Aspects of Expectancy in Music: A Spreading Activation Explanation

A well agreed discourse in music perception research is that affective response can be generated by music when a tendency in the music is delayed or inhibited. There is a consensus that this tendency is statistically driven, derived from exposure to culturally situated musical idioms. By presenting a neural-network inspired spreading activation model (SAM) this paper argues that the nature of the tendency is worthy of further investigation. SAM organises the music stream perceived by the listener continuously into segments such that a match with an existing ‘mental representation’ (node) is found, which is then linked to the node for the previously segmented part of the music stream, with the link between these nodes strengthening and consolidating with exposure. The currently activated segment (the music being sounded) will prime the best matching (strongest linked) node available, generating expectancy. Expectancy is defined as the most strongly primed segment, and emerges dynamically through experience with environmental and musical contexts, rather than schematic or prototypical means. Expectancy is the specific exemplar instance that the activated (currently sounding) segment of music and contextual factors prime. This hypothesis of veridical dominance has implications for enduring aspects of music expectancy theory: (1) individual experiences matter in the formation of expectations; (2) expectations are a dynamic process, that change and are updated with experience; (3) context plays a critical role in expectancy; and (4) schema, prototypes and statistical accounts of expectation should be treated as convenient approximations of underlying cognitive processes

Brain Signatures of Embodied Semantics and Language: A Consensus Paper

According to embodied theories (including embodied, embedded, extended, enacted, situated, and grounded approaches to cognition), language representation is intrinsically linked to our interactions with the world around us, which is reflected in specific brain signatures during language processing and learning. Moving on from the original rivalry of embodied vs. amodal theories, this consensus paper addresses a series of carefully selected questions that aim at determining when and how rather than whether motor and perceptual processes are involved in language processes. We cover a wide range of research areas, from the neurophysiological signatures of embodied semantics, e.g., event-related potentials and fields as well as neural oscillations, to semantic processing and semantic priming effects on concrete and abstract words, to first and second language learning and, finally, the use of virtual reality for examining embodied semantics. Our common aim is to better understand the role of motor and perceptual processes in language representation as indexed by language comprehension and learning. We come to the consensus that, based on seminal research conducted in the field, future directions now call for enhancing the external validity of findings by acknowledging the multimodality, multidimensionality, flexibility and idiosyncrasy of embodied and situated language and semantic processes

Using Facial EMG to Track Emotion During Language Comprehension: Past, Present, and Future

Beyond recognizing words, parsing sentences, building situation models, and other cognitive accomplishments, language comprehension always involves some degree of emotion too, with or without awareness. Language excites, bores, or otherwise moves us, and studying how it does so is crucial. This chapter examines the potential of facial electromyography (EMG) to study language-elicited emotion. After discussing the limitations of self-report measures, we examine various other tools to tap into emotion, and then zoom in on the electrophysiological recording of facial muscle activity. Surveying psycholinguistics, communication science, and other fields, we provide an exhaustive qualitative review of the relevant facial EMG research to date, exploring 55 affective comprehension experiments with single words, phrases, sentences, or larger pieces of discourse. We discuss the outcomes of this research, and evaluate the various practices, biases, and omissions in the field. We also present the fALC model, a new conceptual model that lays out the various potential sources of facial EMG activity during language comprehension. Our review suggests that facial EMG recording is a powerful tool for exploring the conscious as well as unconscious aspects of affective language comprehension. However, we also think it is time to take on a bit more complexity in this research field, by for example considering the possibility that multiple active generators can simultaneously contribute to an emotional facial expression, by studying how the communicator’s stance and social intention can give rise to emotion, and by studying facial expressions not just as indexes of inner states, but also as social tools that enrich everyday verbal interactions