Sensorimotor Grounding in Novel Word Acquisition

Embodied models of language comprehension assume that words become associated with sensorimotor experiences during word learning. Novel word learning paradigms may provide insight into embodied effects, but studies in this domain have yet to account for how concepts and information known in first language (L1) might influence the sensorimotor encoding of new words and concepts. Further, research on embodiment and bilingualism suggests that second language semantic representations involve sensorimotor encoding, but because participants in these studies are already proficiently bilingual, the manner and degree to which L1 information influences newly learned word representations remain unclear. The experiments in this dissertation address a gap in this literature by examining embodiment in novel word learning while gradually introducing elements of L1 interference. Experiment 1 replicated and extended previous findings by Ottl et al. (2017), which explored the relationship between language and sensorimotor traces in novel word learning, in a fully online environment where participants learned novel words as names for novel (invented) animals. Experiment 2 introduced new, realistic visual features (wings and legs) to test if L1-associated vertical spatial cues would influence embodied processing involving new word representations. Experiment 3 further involved L1 representations by using images of recognizable animals to test the dominance of L1 concepts over newly formed word representations. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that embodied semantic representations can be formed nearly immediately during word acquisition, while Experiment 3 suggests that existing L1 semantic networks outperform such newly acquired representations. These findings provide insights into the rapid formation and activation of sensorimotor traces in language learning and highlight the need for further research into the interplay between L1 and L2 representations in embodied language processing. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]