Tight and loose are not created equal: An asymmetry underlying the representation of fit in English- and Korean-speakers

Heather M. Norbury; Sandra R. Waxman; Hyun Joo Song

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2008.07.019

Tight and loose are not created equal: An asymmetry underlying the representation of fit in English- and Korean-speakers

Heather M. Norbury, Sandra R. Waxman, Hyun Joo Song

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Research concerning the spatial dimension fit (tight versus loose) has been based on a tacit but untested assumption that the dimension fit is symmetrical, with tight- and loose-fitting relations highlighting the dimension fit with equal force. We propose a reformulation, documenting that adult speakers of English (Experiment 1) and Korean (Experiment 2) are sensitive to the dimension fit, but that their representation is asymmetric, with tight-fitting events highlighting fit with greater force than loose-fitting events. We propose that sensitivity to the dimension fit is more resilient than has previously been suggested, and that the asymmetry documented here provides a foundation upon which to pursue nuanced questions about the relationship between language and our underlying representations of space.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	316-325
Number of pages	10
Journal	Cognition
Volume	109
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2008.07.019
Publication status	Published - 2008 Dec

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by an IES training grant to Norbury and NIH R01 HD30410 to Waxman. Portions of this research were presented at the meetings of the Cognitive Development Society (2005) and the Cognitive Science Society (2006). We are indebted to D. Medin and E. Leddon for extensive discussions, and to S. Hespos for insights into all phases.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Language and Linguistics
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Linguistics and Language
Cognitive Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.cognition.2008.07.019

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abstract = "Research concerning the spatial dimension fit (tight versus loose) has been based on a tacit but untested assumption that the dimension fit is symmetrical, with tight- and loose-fitting relations highlighting the dimension fit with equal force. We propose a reformulation, documenting that adult speakers of English (Experiment 1) and Korean (Experiment 2) are sensitive to the dimension fit, but that their representation is asymmetric, with tight-fitting events highlighting fit with greater force than loose-fitting events. We propose that sensitivity to the dimension fit is more resilient than has previously been suggested, and that the asymmetry documented here provides a foundation upon which to pursue nuanced questions about the relationship between language and our underlying representations of space.",

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Tight and loose are not created equal: An asymmetry underlying the representation of fit in English- and Korean-speakers

Abstract

Bibliographical note

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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