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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
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Metaphors we learn by: Directed motor action improves word learning.

Daniel Casasanto1, Angela de Bruin2

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, USA; Department of Human Development, Cornell University, USA; Department of Psychology, Cornell University, USA.

Cognition
|October 9, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Simple motor actions, like placing flashcards, enhance word learning by leveraging spatial metaphors. This strategic use of mental metaphor (SUMM) effect improves memory for emotionally charged words.

Keywords:
MetaphorMotor actionSUMM effectSpaceValenceWord learning

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Understanding how physical actions influence cognitive processes like word learning is crucial.
  • Metaphors linking abstract concepts (e.g., valence) to spatial dimensions (e.g., up/down) are common in language.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if performing simple motor actions, guided by spatial metaphors, can improve the learning of novel word definitions.
  • To determine if metaphor-congruent actions enhance memory encoding more than incongruent actions or no specific action.

Main Methods:

  • Participants studied novel words with emotional valence (positive/negative).
  • They then performed a motor action by placing flashcards on either a top or bottom shelf based on word valence.
  • Compared learning outcomes between metaphor-congruent (positive-up, negative-down), metaphor-incongruent, and control (no spatial placement) conditions.

Main Results:

  • Participants using metaphor-congruent motor actions demonstrated significantly better recall of word definitions compared to other groups.
  • Simply verbalizing spatial terms ('up', 'down') did not yield the same learning benefits, highlighting the role of motor action.
  • The observed benefits persisted even when controlling for factors like study time and depth of processing.

Conclusions:

  • Strategic use of mental metaphor (SUMM) through congruent motor actions can significantly enhance word learning and memory durability.
  • Motor actions play a privileged role in activating space-valence associations integral to the meaning of emotionally charged words.
  • This research offers a novel strategy for improving vocabulary acquisition by integrating embodied cognition principles.