Ago, ergo Cogito

Language comprehension warps the mirror neuron system

Arthur M. Glenberg

Arizona State University

University of Wisconsin - Madison

September, 2013

Embodied Language, II

Christ’s College, Cambridge

Ago, ergo CogitoDoes action play a constituative role in linguistic meaning?

If so, can that role be traced to a mirror neuron system?

The plan: Determine if adaptation produced by repeated action affects language comprehension; determine if adaptation produced by repeated language affects perception of action.

Today’s talk

Ago, ergo Cogito

Some possibilities for the relation between language and action

Modularity: Language and action are separate systems with little interaction.

Associative: Language and action are associated in that some words strongly prime actions and some actions strongly prime words.

Causal: Language understanding causally depends on action systems so that modifying action systems will modify language understanding.

Constituative: Activity in action systems constitutes, that is, IS part of the meaning that arises when understanding language.

Ago, ergo Cogito

Glenberg & Gallese, 2012Action-based language (& Wolpert’s HMOSAIC)

bi-directional assoc.of speech and action

control over serialorder in action & speech

grounding of meaning-- constituative

gestureeyes extend

Predictions

Gain

Social Environment

Physical Environment

Bodily Actions &

Perceptions

drink/“drink”

predictor

controllerIntegrate

efference copy

sensory feedback

/k//dr/

speech

speech

basic motor repertoire in motor cortex

canonical neuronsmirror neurons

Ago, ergo Cogitomirror neurons

purpose action recognition intent/theory of mind enhance perception communication?

Human datafMRI, TMS, behavior,

single-cell recoding

Broca’s & hand

canonical neurons

From, Rizzolatti & Arbib, 1998

Ago, ergo Cogito

Bean task

Glenberg, Sato, & Cattaneo (2008)

eyes arm /g/

Predictions

GainSocial

Environment

Physical Environment

Bodily Actions &

Perceptions

give/ “give”

predictor

controllerIntegrate

efference copy

sensory feedback

speech

speech

The logic:

Mirror neurons are multi-modal and contribute to both action and cognition (e.g., language), so…

…using repeated motor movements to adapt action control ought to also adapt cognition.

Adapting the motor system causally affects language comprehension.

Ago, ergo Cogito

Suppose beans adapt a MNS that is constituative of language understanding, that is, action as the adapting stimulus affects language…

…can we use language as the adapting stimulus and affect action systems?

The plan: Repeat language of a particular kind, such as transfer away or transfer toward,and measure effects on …

use of the MNS in action recognition/predictionFlanagan & Johansson, 2003

…and, what if the adapting sentences are about transfer by leg?

Ago, ergo Cogito

Ago, ergo Cogito

Conclusions

1. Causal (yes!): Language understanding causally depends on action systems in that modifying action systems modifies language understanding.

3. Constituative (likely): The bi-directional adaptation is consistent with a constituative claim. Nonetheless, the data do not logically compel this conclusion.

2. Mirror neuron system (Probably): Adapting language causally affects prediction in a visual perception task. Depends on biological effectors.

Thank you!