Embodied Cognition in Communication Science
Bruce W. Hardy
Communication Theory June 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/ct/qtaa003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Linguistics |
| Key points | Argues that communication science should adopt embodied cognition perspectives, which are currently limited to VR research, and proposes incorporating embodied mental simulation into traditional communication models, calling for nuanced theorizing and triangulated empirical support. |
Abstract
Communication science is primarily based on traditional disembodied theories of cognition that inform much of the field's research endeavors. However, recent theories of embodied cognition that situate knowledge acquisition and attitude formation processes in our sensorimotor systems have challenged traditional amodal assumptions. While an embodied perspective is embraced in communication research related to virtual reality (VR), it has not been widely adopted in other areas of communication science. In this article, I (a) introduce and review relevant embodied cognition scholarship from various fields, (b) explicate embodiment in social interactions and language, (c) discuss embodied mental simulation, imagery, and visualization, (d) briefly present ways in which embodiment is currently being used to inform contemporary communication research related to VR, (e) explain how embodied mental simulation can be incorporated with traditional communication models, and (f) conclude with a call for nuanced theorizing and triangulated empirical support for communication theory with an embodied perspective.