Embodiment and Grounding in Cognitive Neuroscience

Abstract

Research in embodied and grounded cognition is defined by the types of hypotheses researchers pursue, with specific emphasis on the ways in which the body, brain, and environment interact to give rise to intelligent behavior. In cognitive neuroscience, it is hypothesized that simulations in modality‐specific representations, situated and embedded in a behavioral context, underlie our ability to plan actions, discuss our thoughts, and coordinate our activities with each other. In this framework, representations are powerful, predictive constructs, and integrate the brain (i.e., neural networks), body, and immediate environment. Overall, the grounded perspective encourages us to think deeply about our cognitive ontology, cognition's relation to the brain, and the dynamic processes that underlie our most complex behaviors. In this way, embodied and grounded perspectives promise to shape research in cognitive neuroscience in highly productive ways.

Differential Tuning of Ventral and Dorsal Streams during the Generation of Common and Uncommon Tool Uses

“…This suggests that part of cortical representation of tool use is not only distributed across the ventral and dorsal streams, but the representations within these networks are at least partially grounded in sensorimotor systems involved in action planning (see Martin, 2007). These findings are consistent with the grounded cognition hypothesis that tool cognition (e.g., identifying tools or describing how to use them) requires activation of representations involved in planning tool use, including those relevant for perceiving tool shape, motion, and, possibly, the arm and hand kinematics associated with their use (see Matheson & Barsalou, in press; Tarhan et al, 2015; Barsalou, 2008; Thompson-Schill, 2003). …”

Mood Induction Differently Affects Early Neural Correlates of Evaluative Word Processing in L1 and L2

“…Recent interactional models of communication (e.g., Van Berkum, 2018 , 2019 ) as well as embodiment theories (e.g., Matheson and Barsalou, 2018 ) emphasize that to gain insight into how individuals process and experience the affective content of words in communication, more attention should be paid to interactions between their respective linguistic systems and the accompanying contexts . One such context is mood, which has recently been conceptualized as an “overarching state of mind” with pervasive influence on all aspects of cognition ( Herz et al, 2020 ).…”

The Brain’s Asymmetric Frequency Tuning: Asymmetric Behavior Originates from Asymmetric Perception

“…It is important to consider that brains are embodied and encode sensory and motor inputs within a body-centred spatial reference frame. According to the recently popular embodied cognition perspective, cognition is supported by modal representations that originate from reciprocal exchanges between the organism and the surrounding environment [107][108][109][110]. Embracing and developing this view, the recently proposed brain's asymmetric frequency tuning model [111] treats lateralization for SF processing as a congenital aspect of the mind that influences learning and cognition through interaction with sensory and motor constraints imposed by the body.…”