Research has shown sound-symbolic associations between speech sounds and conceptual and/or perceptual properties of a referent. This study used the choice response time method to investigate hypothesized associations between a high/low vowel and spatial concepts of up/down and above/below. The participants were presented with a stimulus that moved either upward or downward (Experiments 1 and 2), or that was located above or below the reference stimulus (Experiment 3), and they had to pronounce a vowel ([i] or [æ]) based on the spatial location of the stimulus. The study showed that the high vowel [i] was produced faster in relation to the up-directed and the above-positioned stimulus, while the low vowel [æ] was produced faster in relation to the down-directed and the below-positioned stimulus. In addition, the study replicated the pitch-elevation effect showing a raising of the vocalization pitch when vocalizations were produced to the up-directed stimulus. The article discusses these effects in terms of the involvement of sensorimotor processes in representing spatial concepts.

研究表明语音与所指对象的概念和/或感知属性之间存在声音符号关联。本研究使用选择响应时间方法来研究高/低元音与上/下和上方/下方的空间概念之间的假设关联。向参与者提供向上或向下移动的刺激（实验 1 和 2），或者位于参考刺激上方或下方的刺激（实验 3），他们必须发出元音（[i] 或 [æ] ）基于刺激的空间位置。研究表明，高元音 [i] 相对于向上和上方位置的刺激产生得更快，而低元音 [æ] 相对于向下和下方位置的刺激产生得更快。此外，该研究复制了音调升高效应，表明当对向上的刺激产生发声时，发声音调会升高。本文从感觉运动过程参与表示空间概念的角度讨论了这些影响。