Review article

Perception as a Context for Conceptual Processing and Language Understanding

Dražen Domijan orcid.org/0000-0003-2589-3397 ; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Rijeka
Mia Šetić ; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Rijeka

Abstract

In the research on language understanding, context is defined in terms of words that help to construct the meaning of the target word or passage of text. Here, it is argued that the definition of context in language understanding should be broader in order to incorporate perception as an essential component of meaning. A theory of perceptual symbol systems is provided as a framework for understanding the role of perception in solving the symbol grounding problem for higher-level cognition. Theory posits that symbolic thought acquires its meaning only through reactivation of perceptual experiences of objects or states in the world to which the though refers to. Empirical evidence supporting the theory is also reviewed.

Keywords

embodied cognition; language; conceptual processing; perceptual simulation

Hrčak ID:

70660

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/70660

Publication date:

12.7.2010.

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