Given the one example Beth provided, it seems like the response could easily be explained by different amounts of exertion used in pushing or pulling become associated (through classical conditioning) with the visual stimuli. I guess more examples and how the concept would differ from traditional psychological ideas of association would be helpful.
Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor of Psychology John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (479) 524-7295 http://www.jbu.edu/academics/hss/faculty/rfroman.asp "Pete, it's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart." - Ulysses Everett McGill ________________________________ Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:03:11 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: [tips] Embodied cognition Always a little skeptical of the "newest in psychology," I came across this article on the front page of the Boston Globe's Ideas section on Sunday: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/01/13/dont_just_stand_there_think/ It's about "embodied cognition" and claims that "a growing body of new research suggests" that physical movement is linked to cognition in a variety of ways. For example, "...a study...found that subjcts (all non-Chinese speakers) shown a series of Chinese ideographs while either pushing down or pulling up on a table in front of them will say they prefer the ideographs they saw when pulling upward over the ones they saw while pushing downward." An interesting thought, but I can't help but wonder if it's just the newest fad. (Should I be jumping up and down while writing that?) A search of the literature turned up 92 articles on "embodied cognition." Many seemed a bit obscure, such as: An embodied cognitive analysis of social situativity.<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2/dV0%2bnjisfk5Ie44ud%2b4%2bLthuWk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6nrUmypbBIrq6eSa6wsk%2b4p684v8OkjPDX7Ivf2fKB7eTnfLunr0%2b3qq5ItKy2PurX7H%2b72%2bw%2b4ti7iPHv5j7y1%2bVVv8SkeeyzsEiuq6tRt6avTaumr0ik3O2K69fyVeTr6oTy2/aM&hid=15> Clark, Kevin Michael; Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol 66(2-A), 2005. pp. 486. And At the root of embodied cognition: Cognitive science meets neurophysiology.<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2/dV0%2bnjisfk5Ie44ud%2b4%2bLthuWk63nn5Kx95uXxjL6nrUmypbBIrq6eSa6wsk%2b4p684v8OkjPDX7Ivf2fKB7eTnfLunr0%2b3qq5ItKy2PurX7H%2b72%2bw%2b4ti7iPHv5j7y1%2bVVv8SkeeyzsEiuqqtJt6uvUKumr0qk3O2K69fyVeTr6oTy2/aM&hid=15> Garbarini, Francesca; Adenzato, Mauro; Brain and Cognition, Vol 56(1), Oct 2004. pp. 100-106. [Journal Article] There were also several that were skeptical of the whole thing. None of the textbooks I use for Human Development, Child Psychology or Social Psychology include the concept, but I don't teach a brain or cognition course, so perhaps they do include this. Anybody have any insight into this topic? Beth Benoit Granite State College Plymouth State University New Hampshire --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ________________________________ Put your friends on the big screen with Windows Vista(r) + Windows Live(tm). Start now!<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/shop/specialoffers.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_MediaCtr_bigscreen_012008> --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
