What's Cracking? How Image Schema Combinations Can Model Conceptualisations of Events

Image schema profiles are described as clusters of spatiotemporal relationships learned from embodied experiences and function as the gathered conceptual information for event concepts. Looking at such profiles allows not only to model aspects of human conceptualisation but also offers a method to approach event conceptualisation for more formal purposes. This article investigates this research program by looking closer at how humans conceptualise events and specifies three combination methods of image schema profiles that each offer different aspects for concept construction. As a proof of concept, we present an in-depth analysis of the classic commonsense reasoning problem of ‘Cracking an Egg’ as a demonstration of how these profiles can be used in formal knowledge representation. This is formalised using the Image Schema Logic, ISLM , a combined logic targeted at the spatiotemporal relationships present in image schemas.

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