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Embodied cognition and beyond: acting and sensing the body
Anna M Borghi1, Felice Cimatti
1Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. annamaria.borghi@unibo.it
Neuropsychologia
|November 17, 2009
Summary
Embodied cognition research often focuses on action. This study extends this by exploring how language shapes our sense of self and body, suggesting the human body is a social construct influenced by linguistic tools.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Mind
- Embodied Cognition
Background:
- Embodied cognition (EC) posits that cognition is shaped by the body and emphasizes action.
- Existing EC literature often views body parts solely in relation to goal-directed actions.
- The concept of "sense of the body" is often confined to the physical brain-body system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend the embodied cognition perspective by examining the body independently of direct action.
- To investigate the role of internal language in forming a unified sense of the body.
- To explore how language can modify the perception and boundaries of the body.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing embodied cognition literature.
- Theoretical extension of embodied cognition principles.
- Conceptual analysis of the role of internal language in body perception.
Main Results:
- Body parts are not perceived independently of their actions.
- Internal language, used for thought and planning, can contribute to a unitary sense of the body.
- Language can alter implicit body perception, extending its perceived boundaries beyond the anatomical self.
Conclusions:
- An integrated notion of the bodily self is proposed, where internal sense and body boundaries are shaped by linguistic tools.
- Language plays a crucial role in defining the human body as a social entity.
- The study advocates for a broader understanding of embodied cognition that includes the influence of language on bodily self-perception.
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