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14, 2008, 6:34 pm
Feeling Stumped? Pacing Might Help Clarify Your Thoughts
People think with their bodies, not just with their brains, according to
some recent studies.
The Boston Globe¹s Drake Bennett re****ts on the emerging field of
³embodied cognition,² which suggests that actions such as pacing the
carpet or gesturing with one¹s hands might clarify the thought process
as much as anything going on in the brain. Researchers vary in how much
emphasis they give to the body¹s role in thinking. But by examining how
actions shape thoughts, they all aim to erase the presumed divide
between mind and body that dates back at least to philosopher René
Descartes in the 17th century.
For instance, a study led by Arizona State University psychology
professor Arthur Glenberg found that arm movements can affect language
comprehension. Children are more likely to solve mathematics problems if
they are told to gesture with their hands as they think through the
problem. Another line of research has found that unconscious eye
movements help people solve certain kinds of brainteasers.
Body actions also seem to subtly shape preferences over time. Expert
typists, when told to name their favorite two-letter combinations from a
random selection, picked out easy-to-type couplets, but couldn¹t give a
reason why they preferred them.
At the extreme, some embodied cognition thinkers say that the form of
the human body has shaped some apparently abstract concepts. Linguist
George Lakoff of the University of California, Berkeley, believes that
the number system has its roots in humans¹ ability to walk upright,
which makes it possible to measure distances in discrete steps. If
humans ³moved along the ground on our bellies like s****s math might be
quite different,² says Mr. Lakoff. Robin Moroney
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