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 experien