The role of kinaesthetical representations in text’s comprehension

Abstract

The pilot qualitative research was aimed to reveal the role of motor representations in texts’ comprehension. Subjects (N = 37) were presented the set of 7 verbal jokes to be understood. Then they took part in depth interviewing concerning mental strategies and patterns of intellectual activity that were used during tis process. It were shown shown that kinaesthetical imagery function as mental operations containing the plan for mental activity and often constitute the thinking processes. The motor components of mental imagery not necessarily represented the real text to be understood. In many cases they emerged without any determination from the original text’s verbal elements.