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Journal article
SymCog: An open-source toolkit for assessing human symbolic cognition
Behavior research methods, v 55(2), pp 807-823
01 Feb 2023
PMID: 35469089
Abstract
Symbol systems have a profound influence on human behavior, spanning countless modalities such as natural language, clothing styles, monetary systems, and gestural conventions (e.g., handshaking). Selective impairments in understanding and manipulating symbols are collectively known as asymbolia. Here we address open questions about the nature of asymbolia in the context of both historical and contemporary approaches to human symbolic cognition. We describe a tripartite perspective on symbolic cognition premised upon (1) mental representation of a concept, (2) a stored pool of symbols segregated from their respective referents, and (3) fast and accurate mapping between concepts and symbols. We present an open-source toolkit for assessing symbolic knowledge premised upon matching animated video depictions of abstract concepts to their corresponding verbal and nonverbal symbols. Animations include simple geometric shapes (e.g., filled circles, squares) moving in semantically meaningful ways. For example, a rectangle bending under the implied weight of a large square denotes "heaviness." We report normative data for matching words and images to these target animations. In a second norming study, participants rated target animations across a range of semantic dimensions (e.g., valence, dominance). In a third study, we normed a set of concepts familiar to American English speakers but lacking verbal labels (e.g., the feeling of a Sunday evening). We describe how these tools may be used to assess human symbolic processing and identify asymbolic deficits across the span of human development.
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Details
- Title
- SymCog: An open-source toolkit for assessing human symbolic cognition
- Creators
- Maurice Flurie - Temple UniversityAlexandra Kelly - Drexel University, Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)Ingrid R. Olson - Temple Univ, Dept Psychol, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USAJamie Reilly - Temple University
- Publication Details
- Behavior research methods, v 55(2), pp 807-823
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- R56 MH091113; R21 HD098509 / NIH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA R01 DC013063 / National Institutes of Health (NIH); United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000787180500006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85128855765
- Other Identifier
- 991021860734804721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Experimental
- Psychology, Mathematical