Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Stereotype Content Model02:16

Stereotype Content Model

14.9K
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...
14.9K
Concepts and Prototypes01:24

Concepts and Prototypes

220
The human nervous system handles vast amounts of information by translating sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes, creating thoughts expressed through language or stored as memories. The brain also synthesizes information from emotions and memories, which significantly influence thoughts and behaviors. This intricate process creates a comprehensive mental picture.
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...
220
Natural and Artificial Concepts01:24

Natural and Artificial Concepts

264
In psychology, concepts can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural concepts are formed through direct or indirect experiences. For example, consider the concept of snow. If you live in a place with regular snowfall, such as Essex Junction, Vermont, you know snow through direct experiences. You’ve seen it fall, touched it, shoveled it, and played in it. You recognize its texture, appearance, and even its smell. In contrast, if you live on an island like Saint...
264
Explicit Memories01:27

Explicit Memories

193
Explicit memories, also known as declarative memories, are consciously remembered, recalled, and reported. Studying for a chemistry exam involves material that will become part of explicit memory. There are two types of explicit memory: episodic and semantic.
Episodic memory contains information about personally experienced events and is reported as a story. An example of episodic memory is recalling a birthday celebration. This type of memory includes the what, where, and when of an event, as...
193
Segregation in Fresh Concrete01:16

Segregation in Fresh Concrete

233
Segregation in fresh concrete is a phenomenon where the components of the concrete mix separate, leading to uneven distribution and compromised structural integrity. This separation typically occurs when concrete is subjected to excessive horizontal movement within forms, or when it is dropped from considerable heights or forced through narrow, winding paths. As a result, heavier coarse aggregate particles settle at the bottom, while lighter, finer materials such as cement and water rise to the...
233

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

IconicITA: Iconicity ratings of the Italian affective lexicon.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Open hands, large numbers: manual gestures influence random number generation.

Psychological research·2025
Same author

Specificity ratings for English data.

Cognitive processing·2024
Same author

Consensus Paper: Current Perspectives on Abstract Concepts and Future Research Directions.

Journal of cognition·2023
Same author

Framing COVID-19: How we conceptualize and discuss the pandemic on Twitter.

PloS one·2020
Same author

Emoji-based semantic representations for abstract and concrete concepts.

Cognitive processing·2020
Same journal

More caution or more lenient: deciphering the role of negative affect in recognition and inference.

Cognitive processing·2026
Same journal

Cognitive offloading, critical thinking and attitudes towards artificial intelligence in the era of ChatGPT: a comparative study of artificial intelligence-assisted and manual task performance in young adults.

Cognitive processing·2026
Same journal

Emojis vs. black-and-white and colored drawings: comparing living and non-living things in oral naming.

Cognitive processing·2026
Same journal

The impact of facial expressions on space- and object-based attention by gaze cues.

Cognitive processing·2026
Same journal

Feature interaction in metaphor aptness: the impact of topic-and-vehicle applicable features and semantic distances.

Cognitive processing·2026
Same journal

Partner forgetfulness weakens responsible forgetting.

Cognitive processing·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

6.8K

Specificity effect in concrete/abstract semantic categorization task.

Tommaso Lamarra1, Caterina Villani2, Marianna M Bolognesi2

  • 1Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Bologna, Via Cartoleria, 5, Bologna, Italy. tommaso.lamarra2@unibo.it.

Cognitive Processing
|September 3, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Concrete concepts are processed faster than abstract ones. This study introduces categorical specificity, finding both concrete and specific concepts show processing advantages, impacting conceptual abstraction research.

Keywords:
AbstractionConcreteness effectLexical decision taskSemantic decision taskSpecificity effect

More Related Videos

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
07:31

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

6.7K
A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

10.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

6.8K
Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
07:31

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

6.7K
A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

10.7K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • The concreteness effect demonstrates faster processing of concrete concepts (e.g., banana) than abstract concepts (e.g., belief).
  • Previous research suggests psycholinguistic variables can influence or even reverse the concreteness effect.
  • The role of categorical specificity in lexical and semantic processing remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of categorical specificity on lexical and semantic access.
  • To determine if categorical specificity modulates the established concreteness effect.
  • To expand the understanding of factors influencing conceptual abstraction.

Main Methods:

  • Participant ratings were collected for concept concreteness and specificity.
  • A lexical decision task assessed word recognition speed and accuracy.
  • A semantic decision task evaluated the speed and accuracy of meaning-based judgments.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed the processing advantage for concrete concepts over abstract concepts (concreteness effect).
  • Identified a significant processing advantage for specific concepts over general concepts (specificity effect).
  • Observed no significant interaction between concreteness and specificity effects.

Conclusions:

  • Both concept concreteness and categorical specificity independently enhance lexical and semantic processing.
  • Categorical specificity is a crucial variable influencing conceptual processing alongside concreteness.
  • Findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of conceptual abstraction and word processing models.