Abstract:

In the research field of negation processing, there are two important and opposite psychological theories: the Propositional Symbol Theory and the Embodied Cognition Theory. The former mainly includes the Schema-Plus-Tag Model and the Model Theory of Negation. It holds that negation is an abstract logic symbol whose function is to transform into the opposite of the core proposition (the assertive proposition). The latter mainly includes the Two-Step-Simulation Hypothesis and the Perception Simulation Theory of Negation. It holds that negation is an embodying process represented by the related time cost or space projection. On the basis of introductions of the main ideas and their respective limitations of these theories, the differences between these theories were compared and analyzed. At last, the Suppression- Reactivation-Resuppression Theory was proposed, and the future research approaches was discussed.

Key words: negation, Propositional Symbol Theory, Embodied Cognition Theory, the Suppression- Reactivation-resuppression Theory