Cognition embodied: mental rotation is faster for objects that imply a greater body–object interaction

ABSTRACT

Mental imagery constitutes internal simulations of the external environment, which, according to theories of embodied cognition, is affected by sensorimotor processes. Accordingly, we test the influence on mental imagery of (a) the degree to which stimuli imply a body–object interaction (BOI) and manipulability, and (b) fine motor skills (FMS), using a chronometric mental rotation task. The mental rotation task involved stimuli that differed according to whether they implied a high or a low BOI. Additionally, participants (N = 102) completed FMS, vocabulary and processing speed tasks. Results indicated that high-BOI words resulted in smaller response latencies; however, FMS was not a significant predictor. Findings are discussed in terms of embodied effects on mental imagery.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental rotation
• fine motor skills
• embodied cognition
• body–object interaction
• grounded cognition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.