ERIC Number: EJ947859
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Feb
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-2626
EISSN: N/A
Mighty Metaphors: Behavioral and ERP Evidence that Power Shifts Attention on a Vertical Dimension
Zanolie, Kiki; van Dantzig, Saskia; Boot, Inge; Wijnen, Jasper; Schubert, Thomas W.; Giessner, Steffen R.; Pecher, Diane
Brain and Cognition, v78 n1 p50-58 Feb 2012
Thinking about the abstract concept power may automatically activate the spatial up-down image schema ("powerful up"; "powerless down") and consequently direct spatial attention to the image schema-congruent location. Participants indicated whether a word represented a powerful or powerless person (e.g. "king" or "servant"). Following each decision, they identified a target at the top or bottom of the visual field. In Experiment 1 participants identified the target faster when their spatial position was congruent with the perceived power of the preceding word than when it was incongruent. In Experiment 2 ERPs showed a higher N1 amplitude for congruent spatial positions. These results support the view that attention is driven to the image schema congruent location of a power word. Thus, "power" is partially understood in terms of vertical space, which demonstrates that abstract concepts are grounded in sensory-motor processing. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Evidence, Visual Perception, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Diagnostic Tests, Attention, Power Structure, Schemata (Cognition), Spatial Ability, Task Analysis, Decision Making, Vocabulary, Sensory Integration, Motor Reactions
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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