From the individual to the collective: Complexity in embodied cognitive science
Travis Wiltshire
PsyArXiv July 24, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/ju9tk_v2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that embodied cognition is best understood as a complex, multi-scale dynamical system in which cognition spans hormonal, organ, physiological, and collective levels, with both upward and downward causality. Proposes that cognitive science should focus on dynamical similitude across systems rather than privileging brain activity, and that intra- and interpersonal coordination dynamics drive individual and collective cognitive processes. |
Abstract
Embodied cognition, from my view, is the study of, and recognition that, cognition (e.g., mental, perceptual, and action processes) is situated within, and constitutes, a complex dynamical system. This system is multi-scale meaning that understanding aspects of cognition can stem from multiple scales of analysis as small as hormonal levels, to organs, and physiological systems and even to larger collective scales that span individuals (such as couples, teams, and organizations). Importantly, complex systems are fundamentally driven by the interactions of their components and can exhibit both upward and downward causality. While cognitive (neuro) science has often focused on how patterns of brain activity are fundamental and can differentiate between various social/cognitive/emotional states, an embodied cognitive science entails a focus on the dynamical similitude exhibited by complex systems (i.e., how components of different types of systems can exhibit similar dynamics) without primacy of a particular scale of analysis. For example, many types of complex systems exhibit coordination of their components, and both intra- and interpersonal coordination dynamics are drivers of individual and collective cognitive processes. It is from this perspective that I will address the proposed questions and discuss the complexities of embodied cognition from the individual to the collective.