Hemispheric Asymmetry in Accessing Word Meanings: Concrete and Abstract Nouns

Shibahara, Naoki; Lucero-Wagoner, Brennis

doi:10.2466/pms.2002.94.3c.1292

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Several neuroimaging studies have shown that for the native language abstract and concrete nouns have partially different representations in the brain [e.g., Hoffman et al, ; Huang et al, ; Klostermann et al, ; Lehmann et al, ; Wang et al, ; Weiss and Rappelsberger, ; Zhang et al, ]. Such dissociation between representations of abstract and concrete nouns is also supported by findings in patients with brain lesions [Cousins et al, ; Martensson et al, ; see Shallice and Cooper, , for a review] and in healthy participants [Fernandino et al, ; Shibahara and Wagoner, ; Vigliocco et al, ]. This dissociation was also found in a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study [Papagno et al, ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Recently learned foreign abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct cortical networks similar to the native language

2017

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In the native language, abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct areas of the cerebral cortex. Currently, it is unknown whether this is also the case for abstract and concrete nouns of a foreign language. Here, we taught adult native speakers of German 45 abstract and 45 concrete nouns of a foreign language. After learning the nouns for 5 days, participants performed a vocabulary translation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Translating abstract nouns in contrast to concrete nouns elicited responses in regions that are also responsive to abstract nouns in the native language: the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left middle and superior temporal gyri. Concrete nouns elicited larger responses in the angular gyri bilaterally and the left parahippocampal gyrus than abstract nouns. The cluster in the left angular gyrus showed psychophysiological interaction (PPI) with the left lingual gyrus. The left parahippocampal gyrus showed PPI with the posterior cingulate cortex. Similar regions have been previously found for concrete nouns in the native language. The results reveal similarities in the cortical representation of foreign language nouns with the representation of native language nouns that already occur after 5 days of vocabulary learning. Furthermore, we showed that verbal and enriched learning methods were equally suitable to teach foreign abstract and concrete nouns. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4398-4412, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Recently learned foreign abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct cortical networks similar to the native language

2017

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“…However, they produce shorter RTs for concrete words than abstract words when asked to generate mental imagery [ 73 ]. The dual coding theory has received empirical support from visual field studies which demonstrate that concrete words presented to the left visual field (right hemisphere, which is dominant for visual processing) are processed faster than those presented to the right visual field [ 74 – 75 ]. Imaging studies also provide support for the dual coding theory as areas involved in perception and imagery have more activation for concrete compared to abstract words [ 76 – 77 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A test of the symbol interdependency hypothesis with both concrete and abstract stimuli

Malhi

2018

PLoS ONE

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In Experiment 1, the symbol interdependency hypothesis was tested with both concrete and abstract stimuli. Symbolic (i.e., semantic neighbourhood distance) and embodied (i.e., iconicity) factors were manipulated in two tasks—one that tapped symbolic relations (i.e., semantic relatedness judgment) and another that tapped embodied relations (i.e., iconicity judgment). Results supported the symbol interdependency hypothesis in that the symbolic factor was recruited for the semantic relatedness task and the embodied factor was recruited for the iconicity task. Across tasks, and especially in the iconicity task, abstract stimuli resulted in shorter RTs. This finding was in contrast to the concreteness effect where concrete words result in shorter RTs. Experiment 2 followed up on this finding by replicating the iconicity task from Experiment 1 in an ERP paradigm. Behavioural results continued to show a reverse concreteness effect with shorter RTs for abstract stimuli. However, ERP results paralleled the N400 and anterior N700 concreteness effects found in the literature, with more negative amplitudes for concrete stimuli.

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“…Greater activation was observed in the lower left and right parietal lobes as well as in the left inferior frontal lobe during the processing of concrete words compared to abstract words. Shibahara and Lucero-Wagoner (2002) detected greater priming in the right hemisphere for concrete words but same priming as those in the left hemisphere for abstract words, which suggests that abstract words presented to the right hemisphere may be transferred to the left hemisphere which has processing advantages in verbal coding. The findings of Gullick, et al's (2013) event-related potential (ERP) study, which measures brain responses to direct stimuli of a sensory, cognitive, or motor event, were in line with the dual coding theory in terms of concrete words benefit from greater activation in both verbal and nonverbal systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 78%

The effects of single and dual coded multimedia instructional methods on Chinese character learning

Wang

2014

Chinese as a Second Language Research

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This study investigated the effects of single and dual coded instructional methods using computer-based multimedia on Chinese character learning. 42 college students with no prior knowledge of Chinese language were randomly assigned to a single coded group (text-only and animation-only) and a dual coded group (animation plus text and animation plus narration) to learn 12 concrete (pictograph) Chinese characters and 12 abstract (ideograph) Chinese characters. The results showed there was a significant difference between the single coded and the dual coded instructional methods and there was also a main effect in the character type. In addition, the findings indicated that within the single coded group, there was a significant difference between two character types and a significant difference between two single coded methods with the animation-only method leading to better achievement score than the text-only method. For the dual coded group, the results revealed a significant difference between two character types as well and a significant difference between two dual coded methods with the animation plus narration method outperforming the animation plus text method.

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Hemispheric Asymmetry in Accessing Word Meanings: Concrete and Abstract Nouns

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

Recently learned foreign abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct cortical networks similar to the native language

Recently learned foreign abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct cortical networks similar to the native language

A test of the symbol interdependency hypothesis with both concrete and abstract stimuli

The effects of single and dual coded multimedia instructional methods on Chinese character learning

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