Tommaso Lamarra
@tomlamarra.bsky.social
56 followers 73 following 18 posts
PhD student at University of Bologna @abstractionerc.bsky.social Research: how linguistic system enhances conceptualization in the abstraction process Phil/CogSci/Linguist
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tomlamarra.bsky.social
New Paper Alert 🚨🆕
"Specificity Effect in Concrete/Abstract Semantic Categorization Tasks"

doi.org/10.1007/s103...

We observed faster response times for specific words compared to general words in a semantic decision task, regardless of their level of concreteness.
Specificity effect in concrete/abstract semantic categorization task - Cognitive Processing
Concrete concepts (banana) are processed faster and more accurately than abstract ones (belief). This phenomenon, supported by empirical studies, is known as the concreteness effect. However, recent r...
doi.org
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
mariannabolog.bsky.social
📣 November's Abstraction seminar is all set too!
🗓️ 19 November, 11:30 - 12.30 (CEST)
📍 Bologna (in presenza) or 💻 Microsoft Teams (link: shorturl.at/xW7mF )
🎆 Join us, details in the figure!
👉 Save the date & spread the word!

@abstractionerc.bsky.social
tomlamarra.bsky.social
A big thank you also to the Scientific Administrators of #XPRAG.it, @valentinabambini.bsky.social and @filippodomaneschi, for this picture at #TrinityCollege, and for the great recent conversations!

Can't wait for the next conference in Genoa in 2026! 🎉 #XPRAG.it2026
tomlamarra.bsky.social
So glad to have partecipated in the #XPRAG2025 conference during its 20th anniversary! 🎂 (see the cake in the picture 🤣)

This was my second time in this amazing community, and I had some truly insightful discussions! 🗣️

A big thank to the organizers!!
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
mariannabolog.bsky.social
Excited to share that I contributed to an article just published in #Nature. My role was on the cognitive side, as part of a collaboration evolved from a fantastic #Dagstuhl seminar.
Collective works like these are crucial windows into where our communities are going!
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Excited to share that @abstractionerc.bsky.social has even reached #CambridgeUniversity and #TrinityCollege!

Yesterday, at the #XPrag2025 conference, I presented how speakers maximize the informativeness of their descriptions in naturalistic conversations.

Thanks for the insightful discussions!
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Glad to be at #XPrag2025 at the #UniversityOfCambridge!
Day 1 was packed with fascinating talks and exciting discussions!
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
caterinavillani.bsky.social
📣The chapter "𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀"
w/@mariannabolog.bsky.social is now online & forthcoming in the #ElsevierEncyclopedia of Language & Linguistics
🔍 Theoretical overview, quantification tools, and behavioral evidence on specificity.
👉 Read: urly.it/31c4nm
@abstractionerc.bsky.social
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
mariannabolog.bsky.social
📣 Abstraction seminars are back!
🗓️ 17 October, 10:00 (CEST)
📍 Bologna (in presenza) or 💻 Microsoft Teams (link: shorturl.at/RjrOU)
🎆 Join us for another seminar, details in the figure!
👉 Save the date & spread the word!

@abstractionerc.bsky.social
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
mariannabolog.bsky.social
📣 Abstraction seminars are back!
🗓️ 16 October, 15:00 (CEST)
📍 Bologna (in presenza) or 💻 Microsoft Teams (link: shorturl.at/0fw5a)
🎆 Join us for a thought-provoking seminar, details in the figure!
👉 Save the date & spread the word! ✨
@abstractionerc.bsky.social
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Excited to be at #ESCOP for the first time! 🗣️

Presenting a joint project with @abstractionerc.bsky.social, @mariannabolog.bsky.social and @gabriellavigliocco.bsky.social on naturalistic interactions.

Key finding: Speakers use more specific and informative language as a communicative strategy
tomlamarra.bsky.social
New Paper Alert 🚨🆕
"Specificity Effect in Concrete/Abstract Semantic Categorization Tasks"

doi.org/10.1007/s103...

We observed faster response times for specific words compared to general words in a semantic decision task, regardless of their level of concreteness.
Specificity effect in concrete/abstract semantic categorization task - Cognitive Processing
Concrete concepts (banana) are processed faster and more accurately than abstract ones (belief). This phenomenon, supported by empirical studies, is known as the concreteness effect. However, recent r...
doi.org
tomlamarra.bsky.social
@abstractionerc.bsky.social Post-Doc @grambelli.bsky.social giving her talk about LLMs' analogical ability with novel compounds at the last day of the #SLE2025 conference!🗣️🥑

It’s inspiring to work alongside such a brilliant colleague!
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Excited to be at #SLE2025 this week!

Presented 🗣️ two studies:

🔹 Iconicity ratings for Italian language across L1 & L2 speakers

🔹 Ambiguity of generality in a fantastic workshop on "Lexical Ambiguity in the Mind"

Appreciated the feedback & discussions!
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
grambelli.bsky.social
Here we are at #SLE2025 in Bordeaux! @tomlamarra.bsky.social
tomlamarra.bsky.social
It's me again!
Road to Bordeaux 🇫🇷✈️ for #SLE2025 to take part in the "lexical ambiguity in the mind" workshop! 🏏🦇
Tomorrow, I'll be presenting @abstractionerc.bsky.social results on referential ambiguity in abstraction and generality!
@mariannabolog.bsky.social
@caterinavillani.bsky.social
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Road to Bordeaux ✈️🇫🇷 for #SLE2025! Where I am going to present IconicITA!!
An @abstractionerc.bsky.social @unibo and @unimib joint project on iconicity ratings ☑️ for the Italian language across L1 and L2 speakers!
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Did you know that language shifts in specificity to better support comunication in semi-naturalistic conversations?

Check-out our virtual poster presentation 📄🎦 at the @cogscisociety.bsky.social conference!
@mariannabolog.bsky.social @gabriellavigliocco.bsky.social
@abstractionerc.bsky.social
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Deadline (March 14th) is approaching! ⏳ 🕙
Submit your abstract 📜 and join the Second edition of the PhD CLUB Doctoral conference 🗣️ about individual and contextual differences in linguistic research!
The conference will be held in english at University of Bologna (IT) on June 5th!
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
abstractionerc.bsky.social
🧪 Our Behavioral Findings:

👉Specificity & concreteness explain unique variance in Lexical decision (word recognition) and Semantic decision (meaning judgment)
👉In conversations, specificity shapes:
👉👉How much clarification a word needs.
👉👉Plausibility of follow-up responses (curiosity vs. closure).
tomlamarra.bsky.social
I'm very happy to join the metaphor community 👥 at the RaAM17 @raammetaphor.bsky.social, in Lawrence, MI (US) @al-azary.bsky.social
I will present 🗣️ an @abstractionerc.bsky.social research by @mariannabolog.bsky.social and me about the importance of different levels of abstraction▪️◾◼️ in metaphors!
tomlamarra.bsky.social
Interested in social interaction and abstract concepts? Dive into our latest paper for interesting results!
A joint project by @abstractionerc.bsky.social, @ballabrome.bsky.social
With @claudiamazzuca.bsky.social, @caterinavillani.bsky.social, @mariannabolog.bsky.social, @annaborghi.bsky.social
ballabrome.bsky.social
Does sentences’ abstractness affect conversation dynamics? In three preregistered studies with @abstractionerc.bsky.social we found this is so, with abstract sentences eliciting more uncertainty and curiosity than concrete sentences. Just out on Cognition!
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
ScienceDirect.com | Science, health and medical journals, full text articles and books.
authors.elsevier.com
Reposted by Tommaso Lamarra
abstractionerc.bsky.social
📢 ABSTRACTION presents:

A workshop with brilliant speakers who will discuss language, conversations, and social interaction!
🗓️ April 3rd | 9-18 (Rome time)
📍 In person: Bologna, IT
💻 From remote: shorturl.at/oEM7S
🔴 Limited in-person seats–Register by March 21st (see the flyer)

Don’t miss it!