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Expressing experiences: Sensorimotor activations and interoceptive sensibility influence which words we choose when
Anne Vogt1, Isabel Ganter2, Barbara Kaup3
1Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Germany.
Acta Psychologica
|September 9, 2025
Summary
Bodily experiences influence word choice during language production. Head movements affect spatial language, and higher interoceptive sensibility enhances the expression of embodied meaning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
- Embodied Cognition
Background:
- Understanding the factors influencing lexical selection in language production is crucial.
- The role of bodily experiences and sensorimotor activations in shaping word choice remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if bodily experiences, specifically sensorimotor activations from head movements, impact lexical choices during language production.
- To examine the relationship between interoceptive sensibility and the embodiment of sensory experiences in spoken language.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed upward and downward head movements while completing sentence fragments.
- Lexical choices (nouns) were analyzed for their spatial referents.
- Interoceptive sensibility was assessed using the Attention Regulation Scale from the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Upward head movements led to the selection of nouns with higher spatial referents compared to downward movements.
- Higher interoceptive sensibility correlated with a greater reflection of bodily and sensory experiences in the spatial properties of chosen words.
Conclusions:
- Sensorimotor activations, influenced by bodily experiences, are significant factors in guiding lexical selection.
- Interoceptive sensibility plays a key role in individual differences in expressing embodied meaning through language.
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