Embodiment and Grounding in Cognitive Neuroscience

Research in embodied and grounded cognition is defined by the types of hypotheses researchers pursue, but are all interested in the ways in which the body, brain, and environment interact to give rise to intelligent behaviour. In cognitive neuroscience, it is hypothesized that simulations in modality-specific representations, situated and embedded in a behavioral context, underlie our ability to plan actions, discuss our thoughts, and coordinate our activities with each other. In this framework, representations are powerful, predictive constructs, and the locus of phenomena that tend to integrate the brain (i.e. neural networks), body, and immediate environment. Overall, the grounded perspective encourages us to think deeply about our cognitive ontology, cognition’s relation to the brain, and the dynamic processes that underlie our most complex behaviors. In this way, embodied and grounded perspectives promise to continue shaping research in cognitive neuroscience in highly productive ways.