Embodied Cognition

Given the vital role that vocabulary plays in learning a language along with the fact that sense-induced emotions are noteworthy due to their influence on cognition, this study examined the impact of emotioncy-based language instruction on the long-term memory (LTM) vocabulary retention of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, 32 participants were selected based on their level of trait/state anxiety, working memory span, language proficiency, neophobia, and emotioncy towards the selected words to be instructed. Two weeks after the instruction session, the participants were given a retention test. To compare the mean scores of each participant exposed to the three emotioncy-based language instruction conditions (i.e., avolvement, exvolvement, and involvement), a one-way repeated measures ANOVA was employed. The results showed that the participants outperformed in recalling the words that were taught through the involvement level of the hierarchy of the emotioncy model in comparison to those taught through the exvolvement level as what is currently practiced in language classrooms. Finally, drawing on the concepts of emotioncy, emo-sensory quotient, embodied cognition, and multisensory learning, the study elaborates on the value of senses in evoking emotions conducive to cognition and memory enhancement. After all, the study suggests that senses act as the main gears that stimulate the evocation of certain emotions, and the resultant emotions shape cognition, resulting in better LTM retention of vocabulary items.

Most studies on placebo mechanisms rely on Expectancy Theory, which suggests that conceptual expectations can bring about physiological change. However, the exact processes underlying this effect remain unclear. Perceptual Symbol Systems (PSS) Theory, grounded in Embodied Cognition Theory, offers a more specific explanation: mental representations grounded in sensory-motor systems may directly evoke bodily responses. This study tested whether embodied primes, based on PSS Theory, elicit stronger placebo responses than traditional expectancy-based suggestions. Using a within-subjects design, 71 university students underwent a cold pressure task under three conditions: (1) verbal suggestion of an analgesic cream, (2) visual priming with a photo of a person looking upward, and (3) combined visual-motor priming, where participants also looked upward themselves. The placebo response was measured by changes in pain intensity and heart rate. Results showed that both embodied conditions (visual and visual-motor priming) produced stronger placebo responses than the verbal suggestion condition, as indicated by lower pain intensity and reduced heart rate (F(2,140)=5.83; p<.01). However, the difference between the two embodied conditions was not statistically significant in terms of pain ratings. Notably, visual-motor priming led to a greater reduction in heart rate than visual priming alone (F(6,330)=1.99; p=.06), suggesting a subtle additive effect of motor engagement. These findings support the role of unconscious embodied processes—specifically, perceptual and motor representations—in modulating placebo responses. They offer a promising direction for understanding how non-verbal bodily cues may influence the complex perception of pain.