Citation

Marino BF, Gough PM, Gallese V, Riggio L, Buccino G. Psychol. Res. 2013; 77(1): 64-73.

Affiliation

Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università di Parma, 39 Via Volturno, 43100, Parma, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00426-011-0371-2

PMID

21879354

Abstract

It is an open question whether the motor system is involved during understanding of concrete nouns, as it is for concrete verbs. To clarify this issue, we carried out a behavioral experiment using a go-no go paradigm with an early and delayed go-signal delivery. Italian nouns referring to concrete objects (hand-related or foot-related) and abstract entities served as stimuli. Right-handed participants read the stimuli and responded when the presented word was concrete using the left or right hand. At the early go-signal, slower right-hand responses were found for hand-related nouns compared to foot-related nouns. The opposite pattern was found for the left hand. These findings demonstrate an early lateralized modulation of the motor system during noun processing, most likely crucial for noun comprehension.

Language: en