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Article

Abstract images and words can convey the same meaning

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Citation

Kuipers JR, Jones MW & Thierry G (2018) Abstract images and words can convey the same meaning. Scientific Reports, 8 (1), Art. No.: 7190. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25441-5

Abstract
Intuitively, deriving meaning from an abstract image is a uniquely human, idiosyncratic experience. Here we show that, despite having no universally recognised lexical association, abstract images spontaneously elicit specific concepts conveyed by words, with a consistency akin to that of concrete images. We presented a group of na?ve participants with abstract picture–word pairs construed as ‘related’ or ‘unrelated’ according to a preliminary norming procedure conducted with different participants. Surprisingly, the na?ve participants with no prior exposure to the abstract images or any hints regarding their possible meaning, displayed a reaction time priming effect for ‘related’ versus ‘unrelated’ picture-word pairs. Critically, this behavioural priming effect, and an associated decrease in N400 mean amplitude indexing semantic priming, both correlated significantly with the degree of relatedness established in the preliminary norming procedure. Given that ratings and electrophysiological measures were obtained in different groups of individuals, our results show that abstract images evoke consistent meaning across observers, as has been shown in the case of music.

Journal
Scientific Reports: Volume 8, Issue 1

StatusPublished
Publication date08/05/2018
Publication date online08/05/2018
Date accepted by journal23/04/2018
URL
PublisherSpringer Nature
eISSN2045-2322

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Dr Jan Rouke Kuipers

Dr Jan Rouke Kuipers

Lecturer in Psychology, Psychology

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