Situated Conceptualization : Theory and Application

ed across the situated conceptualizations constructed for each kind of situation (e.g., Barsalou, 1992, 1999, 2003a). Within the frame, local outputs of the situation processing architecture constitute slots/variables (e.g., setting, agent, object, action, etc.), with the global relations integrating slots in a predicate-like manner. Interestingly, the individual networks comprising the situation processing architecture are reminiscent of the classic types of slots found in frames and related linguistic structures (for processing setting, agent, object, action, etc.). Still another possibility is that the situated conceptualizations for a type of situation are superimposed onto a common network, such that their aggregate effects on network weights represent the category. To the extent that the network includes hidden units for capturing correlations between local situation elements, it becomes possible to statistically maintain information about specific exemplars (e.g., McClelland & Rumelhart, 1985). Whereas a network attractor functions as an implicit abstraction about the situation, information aboution about the situation, information about specific instances of the situation also reside in the