Embodiment in judgment and choice.

Abstract

This article discusses the role of embodiment in judgment and choice to (a) attain clarity on conceptual and methodological issues by presenting a literature review of prior empirical research on embodiment, (b) gain an integrative view on the topic of embodiment in judgment and choice by proposing somatic marker theory as a unifying conceptual framework for bridging cognition and affect in terms of embodiment, and (c) discuss and clarify ideas and directions for further research on the topic.

Toward emotion regulation via physical interaction

“…Psychology shows that there is a reciprocal relationship between emotion-relevant appraisal processes and motor expressions [9,10]. Appraisal processes typically cause other emotion-relevant processes, and promote specific motor expression responses.…”

“…The structure of the appraisal-expression relationship reveals three ways in which motor expressions regulate appraisal processes ( Figure 1). First, pairing an appraisal and a congruent motor expression regulates the intensity of that appraisal [9], e.g. smiling intensifies appraisals of pleasantness.…”

“…smiling intensifies appraisals of pleasantness. Second, suppression of the appraisal process occurs when the expressive muscles associated with an appraisal are restrained [9]. Third, incompatibility between an appraisal and an associated motor expression introduces a feeling of unusualness and a focus on finding a sense of stability, independent of the type of appraisal-expression pairing [5].…”

“…Psychology shows that motor expressions (gestures, postures, and facial expressions) help regulate appraisal processes [9]. This has been explored within the context of intelligent interaction via 1) anthropomorphic agents that utilize people´s tendency to mimic others´ motor expressions, and 2) the design of physical interactions we have with a technology on the basis of motor expressions [6,7,8,11].…”

Incidental Haptic Sensations May Not Influence Social Judgments: A Purely Confirmatory Replication Attempt of Study 1 by Ackerman, Nocera, & Bargh (2010)

“…Later in life, a certain bodily state can trigger or prime people with a related concept; for example, touching something heavy can trigger associations of importance (Jostmann et al, 2009). The reader is referred to Reimann et al (2012) for an overview of research on embodiment in judgment and choice.…”