German Title: Perzeptuelle Simulation in der sprachlichen und nicht-sprachlichen Verarbeitung von Bewegungsereignissen: eine Untersuchung von blank screen-Augenbewegungen

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Abstract

Understanding whether conceptual representation during language comprehension and production relies on perceptual simulation remains a central debate in cognitive science. Grounded cognition theories propose that linguistic meaning is constructed through modality‑specific simulations, whereas symbolic accounts argue for amodal, language‑specific processing. This study examined whether perceptual simulations systematically drive conceptual representation by relating spontaneous non‑visual eye movements to the processing of motion events. Forty‑two participants completed two blank‑screen eye‑tracking experiments: a comprehension task using environmental sounds and spoken event descriptions, and a production task eliciting verbal descriptions of environmental sounds. Critical stimuli depicted horizontal or vertical motion events, allowing tests of whether gaze dynamics reflect the spatial properties of simulated motion. Across both experiments, participants showed greater overall gaze dispersion when processing motion events compared to non‑motion controls, suggesting that perceptual simulation of spatial event structure contributed to meaning construction in both comprehension and production. However, axis‑specific effects predicted by strong simulation accounts did not emerge. Linguistic processing demands modulated oculomotor behavior: verbal comprehension and speech‑planning phases elicited higher saccade rates and reduced travel distance, consistent with a shift of cognitive resources toward linguistic representations at the expense of simulation. Individual differences in visual imagery ability further shaped gaze behavior, indicating variability in reliance on perceptual simulation. These findings challenge claims that sensorimotor activation is automatic or necessary for conceptual processing, while demonstrating that perceptual simulation remains a flexible, context‑dependent resource. The study advances methodological approaches to non‑visual gaze analysis and refines theoretical accounts of how linguistic and non‑linguistic representations interact during meaning construction.