Vision, action and language unified through embodiment

Excerpt

Increasing evidence shows that vision, action and language should not be regarded as a set of disembodied processes. Instead, they form a closely integrated and highly dynamic system that is attuned to the constraints of its bodily implementation as well as to the constraints coming from the world with which this body interacts. One consequence of such embodiment of cognition is that seeing an object, even when there is no intention to handle it, activates plans for actions directed toward it (e.g., Tucker & Ellis, 1998, 2001; Fischer & Dahl, 2007). Using object names induces similar action planning effects as seeing the objects themselves (Tucker & Ellis, 2004; Borghi, Glenberg & Kaschak, 2004). Depending on linguistic context, different object features can be activated for action planning, as indicated by facilitated manual responses or “affordance effects” (e.g., Borghi, 2004; Glenberg & Robertson, 2000; Zwaan, 2004). Similarly, different action intentions direct attention differently to object features for processing (e.g., Bekkering & Neggers, 2002; Fischer & Hoellen, 2004; Symes, Tucker, Ellis, Vainio, & Ottoboni, 2008). Eye movements during visually guided actions shed further light on the close relationship between vision, action and language (Land & Furneaux, 1997; Johansson, Westling, Bäckström, & Flanagan, 2001). For example when humans interact with objects, their eyes move ahead of their hands to support the on-line control of grasping (e.g., Bekkering & Neggers, 2002). …