TY - JOUR A1 - Belli, Francesco A1 - Felisatti, Arianna A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - "BreaThink" BT - breathing affects production and perception of quantities JF - Experimental brain research N2 - Cognition is shaped by signals from outside and within the body. Following recent evidence of interoceptive signals modulating higher-level cognition, we examined whether breathing changes the production and perception of quantities. In Experiment 1, 22 adults verbally produced on average larger random numbers after inhaling than after exhaling. In Experiment 2, 24 further adults estimated the numerosity of dot patterns that were briefly shown after either inhaling or exhaling. Again, we obtained on average larger responses following inhalation than exhalation. These converging results extend models of situated cognition according to which higher-level cognition is sensitive to transient interoceptive states. KW - breathing KW - embodied cognition KW - interoception KW - numerical cognition KW - situated cognition Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06147-z SN - 0014-4819 SN - 1432-1106 VL - 239 IS - 8 SP - 2489 EP - 2499 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Felisatti, Arianna A1 - Aagten-Murphy, David A1 - Laubrock, Jochen A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - The brain’s asymmetric frequency tuning BT - asymmetric behavior originates from asymmetric perception JF - Symmetry / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI) N2 - To construct a coherent multi-modal percept, vertebrate brains extract low-level features (such as spatial and temporal frequencies) from incoming sensory signals. However, because frequency processing is lateralized with the right hemisphere favouring low frequencies while the left favours higher frequencies, this introduces asymmetries between the hemispheres. Here, we describe how this lateralization shapes the development of several cognitive domains, ranging from visuo-spatial and numerical cognition to language, social cognition, and even aesthetic appreciation, and leads to the emergence of asymmetries in behaviour. We discuss the neuropsychological and educational implications of these emergent asymmetries and suggest future research approaches. KW - asymmetry KW - global KW - local KW - spatial frequencies KW - temporal frequencies KW - embodied cognition Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12122083 SN - 2073-8994 VL - 12 IS - 12 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Felisatti, Arianna A1 - Laubrock, Jochen A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Commentary BT - A mental number line in human newborns JF - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience KW - spatial-numerical associations KW - SNARC KW - mental number line (MNL) KW - spatial frequency (SF) KW - temporal frequency KW - hemispheric asymmetry KW - newborns KW - embodied cognition Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00099 SN - 1662-5161 VL - 14 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Festman, Yariv A1 - Adam, Jos J. A1 - Pratt, Jay A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Both hand position and movement direction modulate visual attention JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - The current study explored effects of continuous hand motion on the allocation of visual attention. A concurrent paradigm was used to combine visually concealed continuous hand movements with an attentionally demanding letter discrimination task. The letter probe appeared contingent upon the moving right hand passing through one of six positions. Discrimination responses were then collected via a keyboard press with the static left hand. Both the right hand's position and its movement direction systematically contributed to participants' visual sensitivity. Discrimination performance increased substantially when the right hand was distant from, but moving toward the visual probe location (replicating the far-hand effect, Festrnan et al., 2013). However, this effect disappeared when the probe appeared close to the static left hand, supporting the view that static and dynamic features of both hands combine in modulating pragmatic maps of attention. KW - embodied cognition KW - covert attention KW - hand dynamics KW - near-hand effect KW - perception Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00657 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 4 IS - 4 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Why Numbers Are Embodied Concepts JF - Frontiers in Psychology KW - arithmetic KW - numerical cognition KW - number concepts KW - embodied cognition KW - philosophy of science Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02347 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 SP - 1 EP - 3 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Brugger, Peter T1 - When digits help digits spatial-numerical associations point to finger counting as prime example of embodied cognition JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Spatial numerical associations (SNAs) are prevalent yet their origin is poorly understood. We first consider the possible prime role of reading habits in shaping SNAs and list three observations that argue against a prominent influence of this role: (1) directional reading habits for numbers may conflict with those for non-numerical symbols, (2) short-term experimental manipulations can overrule the impact of decades of reading experience, (3) SNAs predate the acquisition of reading. As a promising alternative, we discuss behavioral, neuroscientific, and neuropsychological evidence in support of finger counting as the most likely initial determinant of SNAs. Implications of this "manumerical cognition" stance for the distinction between grounded, embodied, and situated cognition are discussed. KW - embodied cognition KW - finger counting KW - numerical cognition Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00260 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 2 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Miklashevsky, Alex A. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Commentary : The Developmental Trajectory of the Operational Momentum Effect JF - Frontiers in Psychology KW - embodied cognition KW - operational momentum KW - SNARC effect KW - mental arithmetic KW - numerical cognition Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02259 SN - 1664-1078 N1 - A Commentary on The Developmental Trajectory of the Operational Momentum Effect by Pinheiro-Chagas, P., Didino, D., Haase, V. G., Wood, G., and Knops, A. (2018). Front. Psychol. 9:1062 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01062 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Number concepts: abstract and embodied JF - Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences N2 - Numerical knowledge, including number concepts and arithmetic procedures, seems to be a clear-cut case for abstract symbol manipulation. Yet, evidence from perceptual and motor behaviour reveals that natural number knowledge and simple arithmetic also remain closely associated with modal experiences. Following a review of behavioural, animal and neuroscience studies of number processing, we propose a revised understanding of psychological number concepts as grounded in physical constraints, embodied in experience and situated through task-specific intentions. The idea that number concepts occupy a range of positions on the continuum between abstract and modal conceptual knowledge also accounts for systematic heuristics and biases in mental arithmetic, thus inviting psycho-logical approaches to the study of the mathematical mind. KW - embodied cognition KW - mental arithmetic KW - mental number line KW - numerical cognition KW - SNARC effect Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0125 SN - 0962-8436 SN - 1471-2970 VL - 373 IS - 1752 PB - Royal Society CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Implicit Spatial-Numerical Associations: Negative Numbers and the Role of Counting Direction JF - Journal of experimental psychology : Human perception and performance N2 - It has been debated whether negative number concepts are cognitively represented on the same mental number line as positive number concepts. The present study reviews this debate and identifies limitations of previous studies. A method with nonspatial stimuli and responses is applied to overcome these limitations and to document a systematic implicit association of negative numbers with left space, thus indicating a leftward extension of the mental number line. Importantly, this result only held for left-to-right counting adults. Implications for the experiential basis of abstract conceptual knowledge are discussed. KW - negative numbers KW - counting direction KW - embodied cognition KW - IAT KW - SNARC effect Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000369 SN - 0096-1523 SN - 1939-1277 VL - 43 SP - 639 EP - 643 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - INPR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Sixtus, Elena A1 - Göbel, Silke M. T1 - Commentary: A pointer about grasping numbers T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - numerical cognition KW - embodied cognition KW - gestures KW - numeracy training KW - mathematical cognition Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00227 VL - 6 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Füstös, Jürgen A1 - Gramann, Klaus A1 - Herbert, Beate M. A1 - Pollatos, Olga T1 - On the embodiment of emotion regulation - interoceptive awareness facilitates reappraisal JF - Frontiers in human neuroscience N2 - The ability to cognitively regulate emotional responses to aversive events is essential for mental and physical health. One prerequisite of successful emotion regulation is the awareness of emotional states, which in turn is associated with the awareness of bodily signals [interoceptive awareness (IA)]. This study investigated the neural dynamics of reappraisal of emotional responses in 28 participants who differed with respect to IA. Electroencephalography was used to characterize the time course of emotion regulation. We found that reappraisal was accompanied by reduced arousal and significant modulation of late neural responses. What is more, higher IA facilitated downregulation of affect and was associated with more pronounced modulation of underlying neural activity. Therefore, we conclude that IA not only advances the consolidation of somatic markers required for guiding individual behaviour but also creates processing advantages in tasks referring to these bodily markers. KW - interoception KW - interoceptive awareness KW - embodied cognition KW - emotion regulation KW - reappraisal KW - evoked potentials Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nss089 SN - 1749-5016 SN - 1749-5024 VL - 8 IS - 8 SP - 911 EP - 917 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Galetzka, Cedric T1 - The Story So Far: How Embodied Cognition Advances Our Understanding of Meaning-Making JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Meaning-making in the brain has become one of the most intensely discussed topics in cognitive science. Traditional theories on cognition that emphasize abstract symbol manipulations often face a dead end: The symbol grounding problem. The embodiment idea tries to overcome this barrier by assuming that the mind is grounded in sensorimotor experiences. A recent surge in behavioral and brain-imaging studies has therefore focused on the role of the motor cortex in language processing. Concrete, action-related words have received convincing evidence to rely on sensorimotor activation. Abstract concepts, however, still pose a distinct challenge for embodied theories on cognition. Fully embodied abstraction mechanisms were formulated but sensorimotor activation alone seems unlikely to close the explanatory gap. In this respect, the idea of integration areas, such as convergence zones or the ‘hub and spoke’ model, do not only appear like the most promising candidates to account for the discrepancies between concrete and abstract concepts but could also help to unite the field of cognitive science again. The current review identifies milestones in cognitive science research and recent achievements that highlight fundamental challenges, key questions and directions for future research. KW - embodied cognition KW - abstract concepts KW - language KW - mental simulation KW - action words Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01315 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Galetzka, Cedric T1 - The Story So Far: How Embodied Cognition Advances Our Understanding of Meaning-Making (vol 8, 1315, 2017) T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - embodied cognition KW - abstract concepts KW - language KW - mental simulation KW - action words Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01813 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Galetzka, Cedric T1 - The Story So Far: How Embodied Cognition Advances Our Understanding of Meaning-Making JF - Frontiers in psychology KW - embodied cognition KW - abstract concepts KW - language KW - mental simulation KW - action words Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01315 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 SP - 1518 EP - 1537 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Gianelli, Claudia A1 - Gentilucci, Maurizio T1 - Editorial: Reaching to Grasp Cognition: Analyzing Motor Behavior to Investigate Social Interactions T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - kinematics KW - social cognition KW - action observation KW - imitation KW - joint action KW - complementary actions KW - cooperation and competition KW - embodied cognition Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01236 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gottwald, Janna M. A1 - Elsner, Birgit A1 - Pollatos, Olga T1 - Good is up-spatial metaphors in action observation JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Positive objects or actions are associated with physical highness, whereas negative objects or actions are related to physical lowness. Previous research suggests that metaphorical connection ("good is up" or "bad is down") between spatial experience and evaluation of objects is grounded in actual experience with the body. Prior studies investigated effects of spatial metaphors with respect to verticality of either static objects or self-performed actions. By presenting videos of object placements, the current three experiments combined vertically-located stimuli with observation of vertically-directed actions. As expected, participants' ratings of emotionally-neutral objects were systematically influenced by the observed vertical positioning, that is, ratings were more positive for objects that were observed being placed up as compared to down. Moreover, effects were slightly more pronounced for "bad is down," because only the observed downward, but not the upward, action led to different ratings as compared to a medium-positioned action. Last, some ratings were even affected by observing only the upward/downward action, without seeing the final vertical placement of the object. Thus, both, a combination of observing a vertically-directed action and seeing a vertically-located object, and observing a vertically-directed action alone, affected participants' evaluation of emotional valence of the involved object. The present findings expand the relevance of spatial metaphors to action observation, thereby giving new impetus to embodied-cognition research. KW - embodied cognition KW - spatial metaphors KW - emotional valence KW - action observation KW - action perception Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01605 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 6 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hartmann, Matthias A1 - Mast, Fred W. A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Spatial biases during mental arithmetic: evidence from eye movements on a blank screen JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - While the influence of spatial-numerical associations in number categorization tasks has been well established, their role in mental arithmetic is less clear. It has been hypothesized that mental addition leads to rightward and upward shifts of spatial attention (along the "mental number line"), whereas subtraction leads to leftward and downward shifts. We addressed this hypothesis by analyzing spontaneous eye movements during mental arithmetic. Participants solved verbally presented arithmetic problems (e.g., 2 + 7, 8-3) aloud while looking at a blank screen. We found that eye movements reflected spatial biases in the ongoing mental operation: Gaze position shifted more upward when participants solved addition compared to subtraction problems, and the horizontal gaze position was partly determined by the magnitude of the operands. Interestingly, the difference between addition and subtraction trials was driven by the operator (plus vs. minus) but was not influenced by the computational process. Thus, our results do not support the idea of a mental movement toward the solution during arithmetic but indicate a semantic association between operation and space. KW - mental arithmetic KW - eye movements KW - mental number line KW - operational momentum KW - embodied cognition KW - grounded cognition Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00012 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 6 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hatukai, Tatiana A1 - Algom, Daniel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Rodin has it! BT - the role of hands in improving the selectivity of attention JF - Acta psychologica : international journal of psychonomics N2 - We report a new discovery on the role of hands in guiding attention, using the classic Stroop effect as our assay. We show that the Stroop effect diminishes, hence selective attention improves, when observers hold their chin, emulating Rodin's famous sculpture, "The Thinker." In two experiments we show that the Rodin posture improves the selectivity of attention as efficiently as holding the hands nearby the visual stimulus (the near-hands effect). Because spatial proximity to the displayed stimulus is neither present nor intended, the presence of the Rodin effect implies that attentional prioritization by the hands is not limited to the space between the hands. KW - Rodin posture KW - attention KW - embodied cognition KW - stroop-effect Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103160 SN - 0001-6918 SN - 1873-6297 VL - 210 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jeglinski-Mende, Melinda A. A1 - Schmidt, Hendrikje T1 - Psychotherapy in the Framework of Embodied Cognition BT - Does Interpersonal Synchrony Influence Therapy Success? JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry N2 - Mental health problems remain among the main generators of costs within and beyond the health care system. Psychotherapy, the tool of choice in their treatment, is qualified by social interaction, and cooperation within the therapist-patient-dyad. Research into the factors influencing therapy success to date is neither exhaustive nor conclusive. Among many others, the quality of the relationship between therapist and patient stands out regardless of the followed psychotherapy school. Emerging research points to a connection between interpersonal synchronization within the sessions and therapy outcome. Consequently, it can be considered significant for the shaping of this relationship. The framework of Embodied Cognition assumes bodily and neuronal correlates of thinking. Therefore, the present paper reviews investigations on interpersonal, non-verbal synchrony in two domains: firstly, studies on interpersonal synchrony in psychotherapy are reviewed (synchronization of movement). Secondly, findings on neurological correlates of interpersonal synchrony (assessed with EEG, fMRI, fNIRS) are summarized in a narrative manner. In addition, the question is asked whether interpersonal synchrony can be achieved voluntarily on an individual level. It is concluded that there might be mechanisms which could give more insights into therapy success, but as of yet remain uninvestigated. Further, the framework of embodied cognition applies more to the current body of evidence than classical cognitivist views. Nevertheless, deeper research into interpersonal physical and neurological processes utilizing the framework of Embodied Cognition emerges as a possible route of investigation on the road to lower drop-out rates, improved and quality-controlled therapeutic interventions, thereby significantly reducing healthcare costs. KW - psychotherapy KW - embodied cognition KW - hyperscanning KW - motion energy analysis KW - neurofeedback KW - EEG KW - fMRI KW - fNIRS Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.562490 SN - 1664-0640 VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jeglinski-Mende, Melinda A. A1 - Shaki, Samuel A1 - Fischer, Martin H. T1 - Rezension zu: Varma, Sashank ; Schwartz, Daniel L.: The mental representation of integers : an abstract-to-concrete shift in the understanding of mathematical concepts. - Cognition. - 121 (2011), 3. - S. 363 - 385 T2 - Frontiers in psychology KW - cognitive development KW - mental number line KW - negative numbers KW - embodied cognition KW - abstract concepts Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00209 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER -