***-- Data collected as of 4/14/15; analysis in progress --***
Is it possible to activate specific idiomatic metaphors such as "taking a step back to think" and "jumping to conclusions" with body movement? The current study seeks to understand the mechanisms behind *embodied cognition*, more specifically, *embodied metaphors*. Previous studies have shown activation of specific concepts affecting body positions (e.g., posture); yet can body movement activate concepts?
**Researcher**
Pamela Gant, *Pacific Lutheran University*
**Advisor**
Christine Moon, Ph.D, *Pacific Lutheran University*
**Abstract**
Embodied cognition research investigates the extent to which concepts are grounded in physical experience and integrated within the sensorimotor system. The metaphors “taking a step back to think” and “jumping to conclusions” are culturally shared embodied representations of judgment and decision making. The current study examined the effect of physically stepping backward or forward before making a decision on various reasoning tasks using the dual-process framework of reasoning to infer a System 1 or System 2 activation. Results revealed stepping backward during reasoning tasks resulted in less risky decisions, less intuitive probability errors, and a decreased likelihood of ascribing causal inference to real-life scenarios. Simulation of these metaphors provides support for bidirectional embodiment, such that reasoning is shaped by states of the body.
**Organization of OSF page**
1. Institutional Review documents from the Human Participants Review Board at PLU.
2. Instrumentation used, including reasoning questions.
3. Data Files: uncoded direct input, coded variables in Excel and SPSS.
4. Analysis of Data: SPSS outputs and all tables and figures.
5. Open Sesame Experiment files (locked).
6. References and recommended literature regarding Embodied Cognition, Metaphor Activation, and neuroscientific evidence.
**Comment**
The OpenSesame files are locked for copyright purposes. If you are interested in obtaining the opensesame.tar experimentation files used, please contact Pamela Gant at plasenpa@plu.edu.
