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

Yann Coello; Angela Bartolo

ISBN 10: 1848720823 / ISBN 13: 9781848720824

Published by Psychology Press, 2013

About this Item

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.

Seller Inventory # 009670

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Language and Action in Cognitive Neuroscience (Contemporary Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience)
• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1848720823
• ISBN 13: 9781848720824
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

This book collates the most up to date evidence from behavioural, brain imagery and stroke-patient studies, to discuss the ways in which cognitive and neural processes are responsible for language processing.

Divided into six sections, the edited volume presents arguments from evolutionist, developmental, behavioural and neurobiological perspectives, all of which point to a strong relationship between action and language. It provides a scientific basis for a new theoretical approach to language evolution, acquisition and use in humans, whilst at the same time assessing current debates on motor system’s contribution to the emergence of language acquisition, perception and production.

The chapters have been written by internationally acknowledged researchers from a variety of disciplines, and as such this book will be of great interest to academics, students and professionals in the areas of cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, psycholinguistics and philosophy.

About the Author

Yann Coello is Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology at the University of Lille, France. He is the director of the Research Unit on Cognitive and Affective Sciences and is the leader of the Perception, Action and Communication research team.

Angela Bartolo is Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology at the University of Lille, France.