Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

Components of Language

Components of Language

Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...

Sound Waves: Resonance

Sound Waves: Resonance

Resonance is produced depending on the boundary conditions imposed on a wave. Resonance can be produced in a string under tension with symmetrical boundary conditions (i.e., has a node at each end). A node is defined as a fixed point where the string does not move. The symmetrical boundary conditions result in some frequencies resonating and producing standing waves, while other frequencies interfere destructively. Sound waves can resonate in a hollow tube, and the frequencies of the sound...

Resonance and Hybrid Structures

Resonance and Hybrid Structures

According to the theory of resonance, if two or more Lewis structures with the same arrangement of atoms can be written for a molecule, ion, or radical, the actual distribution of electrons is an average of that shown by the various Lewis structures.
Resonance Structures and Resonance Hybrids
The Lewis structure of a nitrite anion (NO2−) may actually be drawn in two different ways, distinguished by the locations of the N–O and N=O bonds.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Investigating the replicability of the social and behavioural sciences.

Nature·2026

Same author

Lean in: Posture affects judgment and memory of emotional language.

Acta psychologica·2025

Same author

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Scientific data·2025

Same author

Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries.

Nature human behaviour·2025

Same author

Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries.

Scientific data·2023

Same author

The process of replication target selection in psychology: what to consider?

Royal Society open science·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Motor resonance and linguistic focus.

Lawrence J Taylor¹, Rolf A Zwaan

¹Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. taylorjr@fsw.eur.nl

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)

|May 13, 2008

Summary

Verbal descriptions of actions trigger motor responses, especially when the verb focuses on the action. Linguistic focus on the agent, however, can halt this motor resonance.

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Linguistics

Background:

Verbal descriptions of actions are known to activate compatible motor responses.
Previous research indicates this activation is localized within the verb of a sentence.

Purpose of the Study:

To replicate and extend previous findings on action-verb understanding.
To investigate the role of linguistic focus, particularly postverbal adverbs, on motor resonance.

Main Methods:

Replication of established experimental paradigms.
Analysis of motor resonance in response to sentences with varying adverbial focus (action-focused vs. agent-focused).

Main Results:

Motor resonance was confirmed to be localized on the action verb.

More Related Videos

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

Published on: December 18, 2015

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

Published on: December 18, 2015

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

Motor resonance ceased when postverbal adverbs shifted linguistic focus to the agent (e.g., "obediently").

Motor resonance persisted when adverbs maintained focus on the action (e.g., "slowly").

Conclusions:

Motor resonance is modulated by linguistic focus within a sentence.
The findings support theories of embodied cognition, mental simulation, and action understanding.
Linguistic focus on the agent can override automatic motor simulation of an action.