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Grounding cognition in action: expertise, comprehension, and judgment
1Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. beilock@uchicago.edu
Progress in Brain Research
|May 30, 2009
Summary
Thinking about actions activates motor systems, suggesting higher cognitive functions like language comprehension are rooted in sensorimotor processes. Understanding cognition requires acknowledging the bidirectional link between cognition and action.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Action observation and planning share neural substrates.
- Cognitive processes may rely on sensorimotor systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- Explore links between cognition and action.
- Investigate how experience influences cognition-action links.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent neuroscience and cognitive science research.
- Analysis of sensorimotor system involvement in higher cognition.
Main Results:
- Cognition, including language and judgment, may be grounded in sensorimotor systems.
- Experience with actions modulates cognition-action relationships.
Conclusions:
- High-level performance depends on a bidirectional relationship between cognition and action.
- Sensorimotor systems play a crucial role in higher cognitive functions.
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