Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses
Published on: January 7, 2019
Grounded separation: can the sensorimotor be grounded in the symbolic?
Michael Gilead1, Yaacov Trope2, Nira Liberman3
1Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel.
Cleansing actions may not create mental separation but instead draw on pre-existing symbolic meanings. This research explores the cognitive basis of cleansing effects in symbolic cognition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The sensorimotor experience of cleansing, involving physical separation, has been linked to mental separation.
- Existing theories suggest concrete actions ground abstract meanings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose that cleansing effects stem from symbolic cognition rather than emerging from the physical act itself.
- To investigate the role of pre-existing symbolic meaning in the psychological impact of cleansing.
Main Methods:
- This study theoretically examines the relationship between physical cleansing actions and psychological separation.
- It analyzes the cognitive processes underlying the symbolic interpretation of cleansing behaviors.
Main Results:
- Cleansing effects may be attributed to the application of pre-existing symbolic meanings.
- Physical cleansing acts might serve as a vehicle for activating these symbolic associations.
Conclusions:
- The psychological impact of cleansing is likely rooted in symbolic cognition.
- Future research should explore how abstract meanings are appended to physical cleansing acts.
More Related Videos
09:43A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments
Published on: April 15, 2014
11:14A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants
Published on: October 4, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development
Exploration...
Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways