Verb metaphors are processed as analogies

Metaphor is a pervasive phenomenon in language and cognition. To date, the vast majority of psycholinguistic research on metaphor has focused on noun-noun metaphors of the form An X is a Y (e.g., My job is a jail). Yet there is evidence that verb metaphor (e.g., I sailed through my exams) is more common. Despite this, comparatively little work has examined how verb metaphors are processed. In this talk, I will propose a novel account for verb metaphor comprehension: verb metaphors are understood in the same way that analogies are—as comparisons processed via structure-mapping. I will discuss the predictions that arise from applying the analogical framework to verb metaphor and present a series of experiments showing that verb metaphoric extension is consistent with those predictions.

Studying genetic overlap between ASD risk and related traits: From polygenic pleiotropy to disorder-specific profiles

It’s not over our heads: Why human language needs a body

n the ‘orthodox’ view, cognition has been seen as manipulation of symbolic, mental representations, separate from the body. This dualist Cartesian approach characterised much of twentieth-century thought and is still taken for granted by many people today. Language, too, has for a long time been treated across scientific domains as a system operating largely independently from perception, action, and the body (articulatory-perceptual organs notwithstanding). This could lead one into believing that to emulate linguistic behaviour, it would suffice to develop ‘software’ operating on abstract representations that would work on any computational machine. Yet the brain is not the sole problem-solving resource we have at our disposal. The disembodied picture is inaccurate for numerous reasons, which will be presented addressing the issue of the indissoluble link between cognition, language, body, and environment in understanding and learning. The talk will conclude with implications and suggestions for pedagogy, relevant for disciplines as diverse as instruction in language, mathematics, and sports.

NeurotechEU Summit

Our first NeurotechEU Summit will be fully digital and will take place on November 22th from 09:00 to 17:00 (CET). The final programme can be downloaded here. Hosted by the Karolinska Institutet, the summit will provide you an overview of our actions and achievements from the last year and introduce the priorities for the next year. You will also have the opportunity to attend the finals of the 3 minute thesis competition (3MT) organized by the Synapses Student Society, the student charter of NeurotechEU. Good luck to all the finalists: Lynn Le, Robin Noordhof, Adriana Gea González, Juan Carranza Valencia, Lea van Husen, Guoming (Tony) Man, Lilly Pitshaporn Leelaarporn, Cemre Su, Kaya Keleş, Ramazan Tarık Türksoy, Cristiana Tisca, Sara Bandiera, Irina Maria Vlad, Iulia Vadan, Borbála László, and David Papp! Don’t miss our keynote lecture, success stories and interactive discussions with Ms Vanessa Debiais Sainton (Head of Higher Education Unit, European Commission), Prof. Staffan Holmin (Karolinska Institutet), Dr Mohsen Kaboli (BMW Group, member of the NeurotechEU Associates Advisory Committee), and Prof. Peter Hagoort (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Donders Institute). Would you like to use this opportunity to network? Please join our informal breakout sessions on Wonder.me at 11:40 CET. You will be able to move from one discussion group to another within 3 sessions: NeurotechEU ecosystem - The Associates Advisory Committee: Synergies in cross-sectoral initiatives Education next: Trans-European education and the European Universities Initiatives - Lessons learned thus far. Equality, diversity and inclusion at NeurotechEU: removing access barriers to education and developing a working, learning, and social environment where everyone is respected and valued. You can register for this free event at www.crowdcast.io/e/neurotecheu-summit

Exploring the neurogenetic basis of speech, language, and vocal communication

Brain Awareness Week @ IITGN

Bilingualism and its link to cognition