Embodiment in Social Psychology

Abstract

Psychologists are increasingly interested in embodiment based on the assumption that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are grounded in bodily interaction with the environment. We examine how embodiment is used in social psychology, and we explore the ways in which embodied approaches enrich traditional theories. Although research in this area is burgeoning, much of it has been more descriptive than explanatory. We provide a critical discussion of the trajectory of embodiment research in social psychology. We contend that future researchers should engage in a phenomenon‐based approach, highlight the theoretical boundary conditions and mediators involved, explore novel action‐relevant outcome measures, and address the role of individual differences broadly defined. Such research will likely provide a more explanatory account of the role of embodiment in general terms as well as how it expands the knowledge base in social psychology.

The scope and consequences of metaphoric thinking: Using individual differences in metaphor usage to understand how metaphor functions.

“…Although some people consistently endorsed the metaphor-related option of each phrase pair, others consistently endorsed the literal option of each phrase pair. Metaphor usage, that is, has dispositional features, features that have not received a great deal of attention in the literature (Meier et al, 2012a;Robinson & Fetterman, 2014).…”

“…As a complementary way of thinking about such interactions, we might find that metaphor transfer effects (Landau et al, 2010) are somewhat particular to metaphoric thinkers. Experts in the field have desired moderation-related evidence of this exact type (Meier, Schnall, Schwarz, & Bargh, 2012a).…”

An Embodiment Perspective on Protection Motivation Theory: The Impact of Incidental Weight Sensations on Threat-Appraisal, Coping-Appraisal, and Protection Motivation

“…It is a challenging task for future research to further scrutinize the boundary conditions for embodiment effects. Our knowledge is still very limited in this regard as already pointed out by Meier, Schnall, Schwarz, and Bargh (2012).…”

La mente moral corporizada: aproximación a la naturaleza embodied de la cognición moral

“…En este marco, el fenómeno del embodiment se sustenta en que los procesos cognitivos complejos se nutren de la información proveniente de nuestro cuerpo, estableciendo una correspondencia psicológica entre las experiencias físicas concretas y las cogniciones sociales más sofisticadas (Meier, Schnall, Schwarz y Bargh, 2012). De esta manera, cuando experimentamos un estado corporal particular, este estado activa automáticamente patrones de conocimiento "abstracto" que lo implican y que son capaces de influir en una amplia variedad de procesos cognitivos y conductuales.…”