Are Abstract and Concrete Concepts Organized Differently? Evidence from the Blocked Translation Paradigm

Autor/inn/en	Zhang, Xiaohong; Han, Zaizhu; Bi, Yanchao
Titel	Are Abstract and Concrete Concepts Organized Differently? Evidence from the Blocked Translation Paradigm
Quelle	In: Applied Psycholinguistics, 34 (2013) 5, S.1059-1092 (34 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0142-7164
DOI	10.1017/S0142716412000124
Schlagwörter	Translation; Semantics; Language Impairments; Psycholinguistics; Language Processing; Concept Mapping; Nouns; Classification; Verbs; Associative Learning; Interference (Language); Abstract Reasoning; Vocabulary; Language Research + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Semantik; Speech disorder; Speech disorders; Speech disabilities; Speech disability; Speech handicap; Speech handicaps; Speech impairment; Speech impairments; Language handicaps; Sprachbehinderung; Psycholinguistik; Sprachverarbeitung; Concept Map; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Abstraktes Denken; Denken; Wortschatz; Sprachforschung
Abstract	Using the blocked-translation paradigm with healthy participants, we examined Crutch and Warrington's hypothesis that concrete and abstract concepts are organized by distinct principles: concrete concepts by semantic similarities and abstract ones by associations. In three experiments we constructed two types of experimental blocking (similar vs. associative) for both abstract and concrete words. In Experiment 1, we first attempted to transfer previous findings observed in patients by Crutch and Warrington with semantic impairment to healthy participants. In Experiment 2 only noun stimuli were used, and we further included two semantically categorical conditions that differed by a degree of semantic similarity (close vs. distant). In Experiment 3, verbs were used exclusively. Consistent results were obtained across all three experiments: Significant interference effects were observed for abstract items that were blocked by an associative relationship and by a semantic similarity, and for concrete items that were blocked by a semantic similarity (category) but not when they were blocked by an association. The effect of similarity-close was greater than that of similarity-distant in the noun experiment. We argue that the results are in conflict with Crutch and Warrington's proposals, and can be accommodated by a theory of cooperating similarity and association connections for concrete and abstract concepts, with the association bearing more weight for abstract concepts. (As Provided).
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Update	2017/4/10