Lawrence W. Barsalou talks
with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions
about this month's Fast Breaking Paper in the field of
Psychiatry/Psychology.
Article Title: Grounded
cognition Authors:
Barsalou,
LW
Journal: ANNU REV PSYCHOL
Volume: 59
Issue:
Page: :617-645
Year: 2008
* Emory Clin, Dept Psychol, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA.
* Emory Clin, Dept Psychol, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
It's gratifying to see that this paper is of interest to the community. One
reason is that it summarizes a new area of research that is having a
significant impact on multiple disciplines associated with psychology,
cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, and social neuroscience. Many
new and intriguing results have been reported that have significant
implications for theories of mind and brain.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper in
layman's terms?
"...the new developments in grounded
cognition are very likely to have extensive
implications in practical
domains."
For the past 50 years, theories have assumed that the brain is an
information processing device somewhat similar to a computer, and that the
information processing properties of the brain (cognition) are separate
from the brain's systems for perception, action, and introspection
(self-thought, emotion, metacognition, etc.). These new theories propose
instead that the cognition is deeply grounded in these systems, relying
heavily on simulations of perception and action, being grounded in the
body, and being situated in the environment.
Not only are there new theories that adopt this orientation, there is a
plethora of new findings from diverse disciplines that support them. The
paper, "Grounded Cognition," reviews many of these findings, and attempts
to integrate them around a set of common theoretical themes. The paper also
raises important issues and challenges that remain unresolved, and attempts
to identify important areas for future research.
How did you become involved in this research, and were
there any particular problems encountered along the way?
I became involved in this research as a result of encountering significant
problems associated with traditional views. Adopting this approach
suggested solutions to these problems. There has been considerable
resistance from traditional research communities in multiple disciplines,
who have been skeptical about this approach for decades. The significant
change in the past 10 years is the explosion of new empirical findings that
support this approach, plus more sophisticated theories that explain them.
The development of theory and supporting evidence, however, is in its
infancy, and tremendous development will be necessary for fully
satisfactory accounts to develop.
Do you foresee any social or political implications for
your research?
Because many social applications depend closely on theories and empirical
results from basic science about mind and brain, the new developments in
grounded cognition are very likely to have extensive implications in
practical domains. Examples include education, psychotherapy, human
factors, and economic decision-making.
Lawrence W. Barsalou, Ph.D.
Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Emory University
Atlanta, GA, USA Web