GEST-A: A Hierarchical and Dynamic Framework of Conceptual Abstraction

Abstraction is central to human cognition, yet the term covers at least three senses that are routinely conflated: abstractness (how far a concept is removed from perceptible experience), specificity (how general or inclusive a category is), and the process by which conceptual change. We propose GEST-A (Grounded, Embodied, Situated Trajectories of Abstraction), a hierarchical and dynamic framework that separates these senses. Being abstract is a concept’s position in a dimensional space of grounding (physical-world constraints), embodiment (body-specific sensorimotor and interoceptive experience), and situatedness (dependence on context of use), with specificity as an orthogonal descriptor. Becoming abstract, in this view, is a trajectory through this space, driven by generalization and re-weighting of grounded, embodied, and situated content, and linked to a shift in feature structure from complete overlap to family resemblance. Using number concepts to illustrate these dynamics, we position GEST-A against earlier hybrid accounts of grounding, clarify that linguistic labels are cues and binding devices rather than constituting concepts, and argue that abstract concepts constrain rather than refute embodied cognition. We also revisit concreteness ratings and the symbol grounding problem and derive testable predictions. Abstract concepts reveal language as a powerful scaffold for building conceptual knowledge that exceeds individual sensorimotor experience.