The processing of negative or incongruent perceptual and combined perceptual/linguistic stimuli.

A psychological model of mediational processes based on the derivation of the meaning of perceptual or linguistic signs predicts increased processing times for signs that have negative affective meaning and conjoined signs with incongruent affective meanings. The procedure used in the experiments enables identical responses for positive and negative signs. The postulated effects are shown to be valid for perceptual as well as conjoined perceptual and linguistic cognitions, using schematic drawings of facial expressions and quotations attributed to persons with the expressions. The findings suggest that perceptual and linguistic cognitions share the same semantic systems, although the latter are more specific.