Are Older Adults Less Embodied? A Review of Age Effects through the Lens of Embodied Cognition
Frontiers in Psychology February 27, 2017 M. Costello, Emily K Bloesch
This paper reviews age-related changes in sensory processing, mental representation, and the action-perception relationship through the lens of embodied cognition, a framework positing that cognitive function is intertwined with the body and physical actions. The authors argue that older adults, compared to younger adults, show an increased tendency to favor visual processing over bodily factors across all three domains, concluding that older adults are less embodied. They contend that embodied cognition can benefit gerontological research by identifying factors explaining age-related declines, despite its rare use in aging literature.