Abstract: With respect to the embodied theory, cognition is body-based such that cognitive activity, the human body, and the outside environment interact with each other, which then induces specific cognitive outcomes. Body state, especially the sensorimotor state, plays a key role in human cognition. Recently, a substantial body of research has been conducted on theories of embodied cognition. Among these embodiment effects, the “weight-importance” effect revealed that low-level body experiences of weight influence high-level cognitive judgments of importance, and thus, this effect is regarded as classic evidence to support the theory of embodiment. The current research investigate the modulation of conceptual representation to the “weight-importance” embodiment effect. In “weight-importance” and “weight-flexibility” situations, participants respectively evaluated the weight, flexibility and value of the heavy (141g) and light (69g) mouses. Then, they held both of the mouses to conduct a monetary categorization task. In the “congruent” condition, they were instructed to quickly press the heavy mouse’s button when they saw the euro and dollar (with higher exchange rate), and press the light mouse’s button when they saw the won and yen (with lower exchange rate). In the “incongruent” condition, the response model about the association between the weight’s experience and the value of the currencies was instructed contrarily. The results showed that in the “weight-importance” situation, participants considered that the value of the heavy mouse was significantly higher than the value of the light mouse. Furthermore, participants tend to associate the heavy mouse to the currencies with higher exchange rate as well as associate the light mouse to the currencies with lower exchange rate, the reaction time in the “coherent” response model was significantly faster than the reaction time in the “conflict” response model. The results reflected the significant “weight-importance” embodiment effect. However, in the “weight-flexibility” situation, participants considered that the heavy mouse was significantly cheaper than the light mouse. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the reaction times in the “coherent” response model and the “conflict” response model. Findings of the current research present a significant challenge to the embodiment theory in that it was previously proposed that this theory could explain the influence of sensorimotor actions on cognitive processes. Psychological researchers who promote the embodied theory have suggested that body state, cognition and the outside environment interact with each other, an interaction that involves the complicated human cognition system. However, the current research suggested that the same experience of weight was represented differently in varied situations. Therefore, the representation of weight’s experience could modulate the “weight-importance” embodiment effect. The body state, including perception and motion, cannot interact immediately with cognition, as these two aspects first need to prime the experiences that were previously built during specific situations. These experiences then influence the cognitive activities. The performance of embodied effects could not only depend on the body-experience itself, but also depend on how we represent this experience.

Key words: embodied cognition, conceptual representation, situational priming effect

摘要： 本研究考察在“重量-重要性”和“重量-灵活性”两种情境下重量具身效应的表现，进而探讨概念表征对具身效应所产生的影响。实验结果表明，在“重量-重要性”情境下，被试认为重鼠标的价格显著大于轻鼠标的价格，并且更容易将重鼠标与高价值货币，轻鼠标与低价值货币建立联系，表现为经典的“重量-重要性”具身效应；而在“重量-灵活性”情境下，被试认为重鼠标的价格显著小于轻鼠标的价格，并且鼠标重量与高低价值货币之间的联系并没有明显倾向性，重量具身效应出现明显变化。研究结果表明，重量具身效应受概念表征的显著影响，该效应的表现不仅取决于对客体重量的经验，更取决于主体如何对重量感进行认知表征。

关键词: 具身认知, 概念表征, 情境启动效应