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

Elaborative Rehearsals

Elaborative Rehearsals

Elaborative rehearsal is a crucial cognitive strategy that strengthens information encoding in long-term memory by making meaningful connections between new data and pre-existing knowledge. This approach contrasts with maintenance rehearsal, which involves simple repetition without delving into the significance of the information. While maintenance rehearsal might temporarily keep information active in short-term memory, it is less effective for long-term retention.
The effectiveness of...

Fixed Action Patterns

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

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.

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...

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Contributions of action representations to tool naming.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025

Same author

On the nature of action-sentence compatibility effects.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2024

Same author

Investigating the relationship between the Bayes factor and the separation of credible intervals.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2023

Same author

A pre-registered, multi-lab non-replication of the action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE).

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2021

Same author

The role of cognitive control and top-down processes in object affordances.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2021

Same author

Motor representations evoked by objects under varying action intentions.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2020

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Dynamic evocation of hand action representations during sentence comprehension.

Michael E J Masson¹, Daniel N Bub, Hillary Lavelle

¹Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. mmasson@uvic.ca

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General

|October 3, 2012

Summary

Understanding an actor's intentions influences action representations during sentence comprehension. The study reveals a hierarchy of intentions, differentiating how and why actions are performed, impacting our understanding of object interactions.

More Related Videos

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Published on: January 26, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Eye Tracking During Visually Situated Language Comprehension: Flexibility and Limitations in Uncovering Visual Context Effects

Published on: November 30, 2018

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Published on: January 26, 2024

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Psycholinguistics
Action Representation

Background:

Sentence comprehension involves understanding interactions with objects.
Actor's intentions are crucial for evoking action representations.
Previous models may not fully account for intention hierarchy.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how different types of intentions (proximal vs. distal) influence action representations during language comprehension.
To examine the impact of sentence structure on intention-based priming effects.
To test the compatibility of findings with mental-simulation theories versus hierarchical intention models.

Main Methods:

Participants performed cued reach and grasp responses while listening to sentences describing object interactions.
Sentences varied in the order of mentioning proximal (how) and distal (why) intentions.
Action-specific priming effects were measured based on response consistency with sentence context.

Main Results:

Priming effects were observed when proximal intentions were mentioned first, but these were transient.
When distal intentions were mentioned first, context-specific priming diminished, favoring actions related to object function.
Findings suggest a distinction between immediate execution (how) and ultimate goal (why) intentions.

Conclusions:

Action representations during comprehension are modulated by a hierarchy of intentions.
A straightforward mental-simulation account is insufficient to explain these findings.
Comprehension reflects a nuanced understanding of both the mechanics and purpose of actions.