See what i mean? Reading visual verbs modulates ocular dynamics

Embodiment research shows that body movements can be influenced by action verbs. Yet, by analogy, can peripheral perceptual systems be modulated during processing of sensory words? Here we tackle this question by targeting ocular dynamics during reading of visual verbs. In an eye-tracking experiment, participants read sentences word by word, all with the same structure: verb + article + noun + adjective. Half contained visual verbs (e.g. <i>see the ripe cherry</i>); the other half contained non-visual sensory verbs (e.g. <i>smell the pleasant cinnamon</i>). We compared the pupil size as well as the number and duration of fixations for each sentential item between conditions. Relative to the non-visual condition, the visual condition involved reduced pupil dilation on the verbs, nouns, and adjectives, there being no effects on the number and duration of fixations. These findings indicate that ocular dynamics are modulated by sight-related meanings, informing accounts of peripheral language embodiment.

具身认知研究表明，身体动作会受到动作动词的影响。然而，类比来看，在感知词的加工过程中，外周感知系统是否也能被调节呢？本研究通过考察视觉动词阅读过程中的眼球动力学(ocular dynamics)特征，解答了这一问题。在一项眼动追踪(eye-tracking)实验中，被试逐词阅读句子，所有句子均采用统一结构：动词+冠词+名词+形容词。其中一半句子使用视觉动词（例如：*see the ripe cherry*），另一半则使用非视觉感知动词（例如：*smell the pleasant cinnamon*）。我们对比了两种实验条件下各句子材料的瞳孔大小、注视次数与注视时长。相较于非视觉条件组，视觉条件组在动词、名词与形容词位置上的瞳孔扩张程度更低，且两种条件下的注视次数与注视时长无显著差异。上述研究结果表明，眼球动力学会受到与视觉相关的语义的调节，为外周语言具身认知的理论阐释提供了实证支撑。