CONCRETENESS EFFECT Words which are concrete (real and tangible) are processed faster and more accurately than abstract ones. ALLAN PAIVIO (1925–2016) Psychologist 1971 (Paivio): The dual-coding theory. Concrete words activate both the visual and verbal systems in the brain. 1983 (Schwanenflugel & Shoben): The context availability theory. Concrete words activate broader contextual verbal support allowing for faster processing. 2000 (Jessen): fMRI suggests that both models combined explains the effect. Nutrition Action Health Letter: Center for Science in the Public Interest We can more easily process the unhealthiness of popcorn from concrete descriptions (equivalent foods)