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Updated: Aug 16, 2025
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Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
Published on: November 2, 2012
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Multi-dimensional sensorimotor grounding of concrete and abstract categories
Briony Banks1, Louise Connell1,2
1Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Fylde College, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YF, UK.
Summary
Both concrete and abstract concepts are grounded in sensorimotor experience. Concrete concepts rely more on vision, touch, and action, while abstract concepts involve hearing and interoception.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
Background:
- Traditionally, semantic categories are defined by concreteness and perceptual reliance.
- Sensorimotor grounding extends beyond basic senses to include diverse perceptual and action experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sensorimotor grounding of 117 participant-produced concepts across concrete and abstract categories.
- To explore how different sensory and motor experiences contribute to concept representation.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory analyses of participant-produced member concepts for 117 categories.
- Examined the multi-dimensional sensorimotor grounding profiles for both concrete and abstract concepts.
Main Results:
- Both concrete and abstract categories exhibit strong sensorimotor grounding.
- Concrete categories are more grounded in vision, touch, and hand-arm actions.
- Abstract categories are more grounded in vision, hearing, and interoception, with distinct subdomain profiles.
Conclusions:
- The distinction between abstract and concrete categories is less clear-cut than assumed.
- Abstract concepts possess significant and diverse sensorimotor grounding.
- Sensorimotor experience is crucial for understanding the full spectrum of semantic categories.
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