embodied cognition
em-BOD-eed kog-NIH-shun
/ɪmˈbɒdɪd kɒɡˈnɪʃən/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
The theoretical position in cognitive science that the nature of mind is shaped by the structure of the body and its sensorimotor interactions with the environment; cognition is not abstract symbol manipulation in a disembodied processor but is grounded in perception-action loops; a major challenge to classical cognitivism
History and origin
Emerged from work by Merleau-Ponty (phenomenology), J.J. Gibson (ecological psychology), and Francisco Varela, Evan Thompson, and Eleanor Rosch ('The Embodied Mind', 1991)
Examples
- Embodied cognition research shows that holding a warm cup of coffee makes people judge others as having warmer personalities.
- Language comprehension may involve motor simulations according to embodied cognition research, not just abstract semantic retrieval.
Synonyms: embodied mind, grounded cognition, 4E cognition
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