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Context-dependent motor-semantic interactions: evidence from dual-task paradigms in semantic fluency.
Cosimo Tuena1,2, Francesco Ianì3,4, Daniele Di Lernia5,6
1Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Research Center in Applied Psychology (CePsi), eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy. cosimo.tuena@uniecampus.it.
Psychological Research
|June 23, 2026
Summary
Motor tasks can speed up recalling fruits, suggesting embodied cognition influences semantic memory. Embodied effects on memory are flexible and depend on task context.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
Background:
- Embodied cognition theories posit conceptual knowledge is rooted in sensorimotor experiences.
- Evidence for motor system involvement in semantic memory retrieval for natural items is inconsistent.
- Existing research lacks clarity on how motor tasks and body posture influence semantic recall.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of motor dual-tasks and body posture on semantic recall for manipulable (fruits) versus non-manipulable (colors) concepts.
- To test predictions of interference versus facilitation in semantic fluency (SF) tasks.
- To explore the role of embodied cognition in semantic memory retrieval.
Main Methods:
- Two pre-registered experiments involving young adults performing semantic fluency tasks.
- Experiment 1: Concurrent motor sequences with upper or lower limbs.
- Experiment 2: Restricted versus unrestricted body postures.
Main Results:
- Experiment 1 showed facilitation: upper limb motor tasks significantly increased fruit recall speed compared to control, with no effect on color recall.
- Facilitation impacted retrieval speed, not semantic network structure.
- Experiment 2 found no significant posture effects on semantic fluency measures for either category.
Conclusions:
- Findings support a weak embodiment perspective: motor systems influence semantic retrieval, not core representations.
- Embodied influences on semantic memory are context-dependent, flexible, and task-sensitive.
- Motor involvement in semantic processing critically depends on the relationship between concurrent motor activity and the accessed conceptual domain.
