| dc.description.abstract | According to embodiment theories, our experience with the environment influences the way the concepts are mentally represented. We have identified two aspects of that experience: perceptual diversity (e.g. the number of sensory modalities used for experiencing the object, NoM) and perceptual intensity (e.g. Euclidean distance of the vector containing per-modality sensory ratings, VL). Both can relate to the possible and the actual experience with objects. In a previous study, we explored the relevance of actual experience for the perceptual diversity in a lexical decision task (LDT). In that study, we controlled for the intensity of perceptual experience and for the diversity of the possible experience while manipulating the diversity of the actual experience with an object. Concepts that could be experienced with two modalities consisted of concepts that were indeed experienced with two modalities (a badge) and the group of concepts that were actually experienced with only one modality (a flock). Although the two groups did not differ in terms of processing latencies, the recognition of the words which were actually experienced in two sensory modalities was facilitated by VL. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the relevance of the actual experience for the effect of perceptual intensity, as operationalized by VL, while simultaneously controlling for the perceptual diversity.
We conducted two experiments (28 participants in E1 and 32 in E2) using LDT. In E1, we sampled 116 concepts rated as actually experienced with two or three sensory modalities. We manipulated the VL of the actual experience ratings and controlled for the VL of the possible experience ratings. In E2, we did the opposite. For 104 concepts, we manipulated the VL of possible experience ratings, simultaneously controlling for the VL of true experience ratings.
In E1, we did not record the VL effects for the concepts that could be experienced with two modalities. However, for the concepts that could be experienced with three modalities, VL based on actual experience facilitated LD reaction times: ß=-.11, t (52.07) = -4.06, p<.001. In E2, VL did not affect the processing of concepts that could be experienced with two modalities. In contrast, VL based on possible experience inhibited processing of concepts that could be experienced with three modalities: ß=.05, t (52.07) = 2.22, p< .05.
Results from the E1 are in accordance with our previous study and with the embodiment theories. However, the inhibitory effect of VL recorded in E2 was not expected as all previous experiments showed the opposite. One likely explanation is that it was a consequence of the concept selection. Bearing in mind our previous study and results from E1, we could conclude that the actual experience is more relevant for word recognition. However, given the results of E2, further testing of the effect of the intensity of the possible experience is needed. | sr |
