Multimodal abstract concepts: the transformative role of gestures and language

Although there is growing consensus on the multimodal nature of abstract concepts, research in this field rarely leverages multimodal methods. In this paper, we argue that the investigation of abstract concepts can benefit from integrating pragmatics, psychology, and neuroscience together within more ecological, interactive, and multimodal paradigms. We review studies exploring multimodal interactions—with others, but also with oneself—focusing particularly on the transformative role gestures and prosody might have for the processing of abstract concepts.