Embodied Cognition and Linguistic Relativity: Investigating Perceptual Availability in Linguistic Processing

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13075
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Chuo University
• Principal Investigator: Fukuta Junya 中央大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (20781818)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 第二言語習得研究 / 基盤化された認知 / 認知言語学 / 身体性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the perceptual activities during sentence processing as demonstrated in previous studies, and, based on cognitive semantics, linguistic relativity, and embodied (grounded) cognition, considers the differences in perspective or construal among individual languages. It hypothesizes about the conceptual differences held by speakers of Japanese and English. Furthermore, it attempts to empirically investigate these differences through surveys and psychological experiments targeting English speakers, Japanese speakers, and bilingual speakers of both languages.

Free Research Field

第二言語習得研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の研究内容は、言語相対論の枠組みで活発に議論がなされてきた。この10年ほどで認知科学の研究において特に注目を浴びている身体化認知の研究の流れと合流し、言語相対論の研究はますます世界的に活発になってきている。今回はこの世界的に注目度の高いテーマのうち、日本語と英語の「視点」の違いをについて理論的考察および実証研究を行い、国内外での発表を行うことができた。