Ago, ergo Cogito

1. Language comprehension warps the mirror neuron system Arthur M. Glenberg Arizona State University University of Wisconsin - Madison September, 2013 Embodied Language, II Christ’s College, Cambridge Ago, ergo Cogito

2. Today’s talk Does action play a constituative role in linguistic meaning? Ago, ergo Cogito If so, can that role be traced to a mirror neuron system? The plan: Determine if adaptation produced by repeated action affects language comprehension; determine if adaptation produced by repeated language affects perception of action.

3. Some possibilities for the relation between language and action Ago, ergo Cogito Modularity: Language and action are separate systems with little interaction. Associative: Language and action are associated in that some words strongly prime actions and some actions strongly prime words. Causal: Language understanding causally depends on action systems so that modifying action systems will modify language understanding. Constituative: Activity in action systems constitutes, that is, IS part of the meaning that arises when understanding language.

4. Glenberg & Gallese, 2012 Action-based language (& Wolpert’s HMOSAIC) /dr/ /k/ eyes extend controller predictor speech speech Social Environment Bodily Actions & Perceptions Physical Environment Predictions sensory feedback Ago, ergo Cogito drink/“drink” Gain Integrate control over serial order in action & speech efference copy bi-directional assoc. of speech and action basic motor repertoire in motor cortex gesture grounding of meaning-- constituative canonical neurons mirror neurons

5. canonical neurons mirror neurons Ago, ergo Cogito purpose action recognition intent/theory of mind enhance perception communication? Human data fMRI, TMS, behavior, single-cell recoding Broca’s & hand From, Rizzolatti & Arbib, 1998

6. eyes arm /g/ Predictions controller predictor sensory feedback give/ “give” speech speech Gain Social Environment Integrate Bodily Actions & Perceptions efference copy Physical Environment Glenberg, Sato, & Cattaneo (2008) The logic: Mirror neurons are multi-modal and contribute to both action and cognition (e.g., language), so… Ago, ergo Cogito …using repeated motor movements to adapt action control ought to also adapt cognition. Bean task

7. Adapting the motor system causally affects language comprehension.

8. Suppose beans adapt a MNS that is constituative of language understanding, that is, action as the adapting stimulus affects language… …can we use language as the adapting stimulus and affect action systems? Ago, ergo Cogito The plan: Repeat language of a particular kind, such as transfer away or transfer toward, and measure effects on … use of the MNS in action recognition/prediction Flanagan & Johansson, 2003 …and, what if the adapting sentences are about transfer by leg?

9. Ago, ergo Cogito

10. Conclusions 1. Causal (yes!): Language understanding causally depends on action systems in that modifying action systems modifies language understanding. Ago, ergo Cogito 2. Mirror neuron system (Probably): Adapting language causally affects prediction in a visual perception task. Depends on biological effectors. 3. Constituative (likely): The bi-directional adaptation is consistent with a constituative claim. Nonetheless, the data do not logically compel this conclusion. Thank you!