Embodiment as a unifying perspective for psychology

• Published in: Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science Vol. 1; no. 4; pp. 586 - 596
• Main Author: Glenberg, Arthur M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-07-2010; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Clinical psychology; Cognitive psychology; Educational psychology; Social psychology
• ISSN: 1939-5078; 1939-5086
• DOI: 10.1002/wcs.55

A basic claim of the embodiment framework is that all psychological processes are influenced by body morphology, sensory systems, motor systems, and emotions. As such, the framework holds the promise of providing a unifying perspective for psychological research. This article begins with a sketch of several arguments, from evolution to philosophy, as to why the embodiment framework is a good bet. These arguments are followed by a review of approaches to embodiment, including those from cognitive linguistics, perceptual symbol theory, and action‐based theories. Finally, examples are provided for how a unifying perspective might work for cognition (including language and memory), cognitive and social development, social psychology, neuroscience, clinical psychology, and psychology applied to education. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This article is categorized under:
Psychology > Theory and Methods