Embodied imagery hypothesis proposes the activation of perceptual-motor systems during language processing. Previous studies primarily used concrete visual stimuli to investigate mental imagery in language processing by native speakers (NSs) and second language (L2) learners, but few studies employed schematic diagrams. The study aims to investigate mental imagery in processing prepositional phrases by English NSs and L2 learners. Using image-schematic diagrams as primes, we examine whether any mental imagery effect is modulated by target preposition (over, in), the abstractness of meaning (spatial, extended), and stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA; 1,040 ms, 2,040 ms). A total of 79 adult L2 learners and 100 NSs of English completed diagram–picture matching and semantic priming phrasal decision tasks. Results revealed interference effects on L2 processing of over phrases and under 2,040 ms SOA, but no such effects were observed in the NS group. The selective interference effects in L2 suggest different mental imagery patterns between L1 and L2 processing, and processing schematic diagram primes requires high cognitive demands, potentially leading to difficulties in integrating visual and linguistic information and making grammaticality judgments. The findings partially validate schematic diagrams as visual representations of concepts and suggest the need for further examination of schematic diagrams with varying degrees of complexity.

具身意象假说提出了语言处理过程中感知运动系统的激活。先前的研究主要使用具体的视觉刺激来调查母语者（NS）和第二语言（L2）学习者在语言处理中的心理意象，但很少有研究采用示意图。该研究旨在调查英语 NS 和 L2 学习者处理介词短语时的心理意象。使用图像示意图作为素数，我们检查任何心理意象效果是否受到目标介词（over、in）、意义的抽象性（空间、扩展）和刺激开始异步（SOA；1,040 ms、2,040 ms）的调节。共有 79 名成人 L2 学习者和 100 名英语 NS 完成了图画匹配和语义启动短语决策任务。结果显示，超过短语和低于 2,040 ms SOA的 L2 处理受到干扰，但在 NS 组中没有观察到这种影响。 L2 中的选择性干扰效应表明 L1 和 L2 处理之间存在不同的心理意象模式，并且处理示意图素数需要较高的认知要求，可能导致整合视觉和语言信息以及进行语法判断的困难。研究结果部分验证了示意图作为概念的视觉表示，并表明需要进一步检查不同复杂程度的示意图。