Language and Action in Cognitive Neuroscience (Contemporary Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience)

Hardcover, xviii + 357 pages, NOT ex-library. Minor handling wear, book is clean and bright with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Issued without a dust jacket. -- This book examines the biological and cognitive links between human language and the motor system. It challenges the traditional view of language as an abstract, isolated module by providing evidence that linguistic processes are deeply grounded in our physical ability to act and interact with the world. This is a key contribution to the field of embodied cognition, arguing that language evolution, acquisition, and use are inextricably linked to the brain's motor and sensory systems. Action Semantics: It explores how the meanings of words (especially action verbs) are represented in the same brain regions that control physical movement. Evolutionary Origins: Contributors discuss the "motor origins" of language, including the relationship between manual gestures and the development of speech. Neural Overlap: The text collates data from behavioural studies, neuroimaging (fMRI), and stroke-patient research to show how the brain's motor areas are activated during language comprehension and production. Spatial and Temporal Concepts: It examines how abstract notions - such as time, numbers, and spatial relations - are represented through metaphors derived from physical action and bodily orientation. Evolutionary and Developmental Perspectives: How language emerged from motor control and how children learn to speak through physical interaction. Neurobiological Evidence: Detailed analysis of the cortical underpinnings of language-action integration. Gestures and Communication: The role of the hands and body in conveying linguistic meaning. The book is primarily intended for postgraduate students and professional researchers in cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology. …