Anyone remember reading Amelia Bedelia books when you were young? Amelia Bedelia was a maid who wore crazy hats and took things literally - throwing a tent away after being asked to pitch it, putting clothes on the chicken she was asked to dress, and decorating the curtains she was asked to draw. Funny stuff to a 6-year old.
Amelia Bedelia did not understood that conversations are not supposed to be taken literally. We all make extensive use of metaphors in speech - we can think of talking about our troubles weighing us down, or feeling like we are on cloud nine; of someone who has a cold heart, or who warms our soul; of feeling puffed up with pride, or in the case of unwelcome events, very small. As we get older, we understand that these are symbolic in nature. However, as it turns out, we may not have left all that literalism behind with our youth.
A series of recent studies suggest that many of our abstract cognitions may be interpreted literally. In other words, our bodies may in some cases mirror and reflect our abstract thoughts. Many of us still hold to the concept of mind-body dualism; the idea there is something unique and special and separate about our minds versus our bodies. This series of clever studies suggest that this dichotomy is even more false than it is generally acknowledged to be.
"Researchers at the University of Aberdeen found that when people were asked to engage in a bit of mental time travel, and to recall past events or imagine future ones, participants’ bodies subliminally acted out the metaphors embedded in how we commonly conceptualized the flow of time. As they thought about years gone by, participants leaned slightly backward, while in fantasizing about the future, they listed to the fore. "
In a similar fashion, other studies in this newly emerging field of embodied cognition suggest that we might find people friendlier when we are holding a warm drink, or might be more likely to use handiwipes when we're reminded of the wrongs we have committed, and think heavier textbooks contain more vital information.
“How we process information is related not just to our brains but to our entire body,” said Nils B. Jostmann of the University of Amsterdam. “We use every system available to us to come to a conclusion and make sense of what’s going on.”These physical accompaniments to the metaphors in language suggest that we think, not just with our heads, but also with our bodies. They also suggest a number of fascinating areas for future research. It remains to be seen whether the effects found in the laboratory translate into an influence in the real world. There are also implications with respect to cross-cultural differences. Would cultures with different metaphors show different physical correlates? In Chinese, the past is thought of as being in front of you, and the future behind you. Would Chinese subjects lean in the opposite direction to American samples? And last, and perhaps more importantly - can we influence people's thoughts by influencing their bodies?
This makes me think of how people often use their hands in conversation. In addition to talking about the past and future, we use our hands to give directions or to describe certain emotions. I think we do this so others can better understand us. So this study reiterates the important role that the body plays in language production and conveying information.
ReplyDeleteHuman Development
Student ID: 924392268
Trinh,
ReplyDeleteReading this posting make me think of my own experience of feeling that heavier book contain lot of information, and that the reading will be really difficult. In one of my class for this semester I was require to read a novel, and I remember my feeling when I saw this novel. I was not happy when I saw an 800 pages novel, and that there are no that I will able to finish this book in 9 weeks. But when I started to read the novel, I realized it that the writing was really easy to read and the pages were not that long. I was able to read on average of 100 pages a day, just to say that I was really happy with this. Now I know that not all heavy books contain vital information, some heavy book might have a lot of pictures.
Student ID: 951447772 Human Development
ReplyDeleteThe idea of embodied cognition, or the idea that how we process information is related to our brains and our body is intriguing to me because I think I have experienced this idea. I am a pretty anxious and uptight person, and I often have trouble making decisions. Oftentimes, I will go work out physically in order to decompress emotionally, for it is often the case that I think the most clearly and am able to make good decisions when my body is relaxed (during and after working out). It is as if my mind can't think if my body is unrelaxed and tense.
Id: 950-660-426
ReplyDeleteIsn’t what we’re talking about called nonverbal communication? I think body language is a fascinating and under explored area. I think it’s under explored because I hear stats like 80% of communication is nonverbal and most of it unconsciously sent and received, but not a lot of information beyond that. I think there is a definitely a mind-body connection. When I think back to events that were uncomfortable, I can literally feel the anxiety that I felt then. I don’t see why the study even questions whether our bodies mirror our thoughts at times. Am I missing something because isn’t this the basic idea that people often cry when they’re sad or they tap their foot when they’re anxious, etc, etc? Some of what we do may be learned, imitated behavior. I think the idea of leaning back slightly when thinking about the past and leaning forward when thinking about the future is probably a learned behavior. From as far back as I remember I’ve always seen people pointing their thumb over their shoulder and leaning back slightly when talking about the past and pointing and leaning forward when talking about the future. I find myself repeating physical mannerisms that others do. I find the idea of these types of studies very interesting, but am I missing a major point because I didn’t realize this was even a topic of debate in the field of psychology.
P.S. I loved Amelia Bedelia!!!
i deffinately think that our thought can be altered by our body...use of drugs comes to mind. people alter their mind chemistry & suddenly think everyone is their friend...or enemy.
ReplyDeleteor with intimacy. i have had experiences where you are physically inmtimate with someone, think you love them...& then later learn that you actually hate them & you just thought good of them because they physically made you feel good.
i also can relate to the big text book idea. i mean, i dont like big standard text books, but when i see a small book required for class i think 'oh sweet, this ones going to be easy.' which is not always the case!
human development student 912689490
Reply to the poster above who thought they might be missing the point:
ReplyDeleteI think there is some difference between the emotional reactions you describe (sad, anxious), and the physical response to abstract ideas. Anxious has a very solid adapatave reaction explaination, whereas thinking (note: not communicating, just thinking) about the future or past is abstract thought that is not literally connected to leaning foward or back, except through our languange and our perception that we see the future in front of us, through our eyes, and the past behind; ie we usually look ahead to the future (interesting in itself that Chinese view this opposite. Why?). I think this is a little different than emotional response. Also from what I understood the leaning was nearly imperceptable, only a few mm, and not the gestures and motion of storytelling. I do agree with you that non-berbal comunnication and body cognition are closely related, though I'm not surpised it is a topic of study in the field.
The study to me is saying there is a solid connection between mere words, symbols that represent abstract and concrete ideas both; for another example, in the "soiled" hands experiment. A physical "soil" has nothing to do with an abstract "soil" and yet while thinking about one (abstract) the physical soil manifests itself. It is very interesting to think of the formation of metaphorical language in terms of literal language and physical operation.
It is also a little scary to think about how our physical surroundings, even in such minor details as clipboard weight or a warm beverage in hand, can affect our thought and judgement. So much for non-biased thought...
My reaction to this interconnection of speaking and thinking to physical activity (or body language) was that it makes all the sense in the world when you consider how we develop as children. Before we have the capacity for symbolic thought or language all we have is our physical experience. Infants touch and taste things; they look at things that are moving; they listen to sounds. They are particularly attracted to human faces and how those faces move and react. Observing the physical is how we first know the world. The second way we start to know the world is by interacting with it. We move things; we see what’s connected and what’s not. We see what happens to objects when we do things to them. We see what other people do in reaction to our motions and sounds. All this learning is associated with physical actions and before we can speak we communicate with physical actions. Thinking and speaking have always been connected with the physical and it may not be possible (nor desirable) to disassociate the two.
ReplyDeleteNick Johantgen Student ID 975293500
I like what Nick said about babies exploring with their physical selves before they are capable of thought, but I would like to respond to the comment above by Nils B. Jostmann:
ReplyDelete"How we process information is not related just o our brains but to our entire bodies."
What I am about to say may be in reverse. Twenty years ago I went to a behavior therapist for problems with severe anxiety attacks that affected by physical body. At the time, I was not making any connection to my thoughts. This psychologist pointed out that we never have a physical emotion (e.g. crying, shaking from anxiety, anger, etc.) without having had a "thought" about it first. I was instructed to write down all of my thoughts for a month......regardless of how trivial I may have thought they were. I followed through with my assignment and was shocked to see how anxious my thoughts were. Because my anxiety attacks manifested themselves in physical ways: shortness of breath, numbing of the hands, feet and face, dizziness and often vomiting or diarrhea, I just assumed I needed help in controlling my physical self. It was a slow process of controlling anxious thoughts that I was unaware I was even entertaining that helped me.
This is an example of mind-body connection, but what Nick touched on may be more accurate to the study discussed. In reverse, we do start out in life by experiencing with our bodies before we develop thought.
Loretta Hunt 934345511
P.S. I loved Amelia Bedialia, too. She cracked my kids up!
Mary Kate Hart: 953851745
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting! I loved the Amelia Bedialia books when I was a kid, and maybe she was smarter than we gave her credit for!
The subconscious things we do always amazes me. My grandmother always talked with her hands, people always joked that if she had to sit on her hand and have a conversation she would be tongue tied and it's probably true. But it makes sense, holding a warm cup of coffee is comforting and creates a more inviting atmosphere when you meet someone new. When reminiscing you lean back like you're day dreaming and when your considering the future you lean forward, ready to take it on.
I wonder if its a reaction to your environment or something that purely in your head. With the example of the hot drink; a warm drink is comforting and generally releases positive emotions. It reminds me of be comforted by my mom as a kid. It automatically creates a warm atmosphere for me which makes me more inviting when I meet someone new. If I met someone new in a situation where I was cold and uncomfortable I probably wouldn't be as inviting which would trigger them to not be less nice back.
Either way, it's very interesting to think about.
I don't find these results surprising in the least. I've worked in social work for the last ten years and the last five have been with adults with schizophrenia. Not only have I often observed different affects when individuals are more or less involved in their schizophrenic hallucination world, but I've noticed a lot of erratic movements, odd posture, strange behavior, etc.. Often, when I observe someone deeply involved in their hallucinations and I need to engage them verbally, I will literally see them "snap back" into the "real world" and be somewhat able to retain a normal conversation after what looks like a physical jolt.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, their mental clarity is often informed by very basic physical routines. If someone is getting exercise, is getting adequate sleep and is eating well, they are much better off than when they are not taking care of themselves.
On a personal note, I am a musician and I often find that the best cure for creative blocks is to run to the point of exhaustion before sitting down to practice or record. The clarity gained from physical exertion has allowed me to approach music with less baggage and conceptual expectations.
Pete S. 910095029
It's interesting to think about the ways that our speach is loaded with "technical knowledge" if you will. Even directions on a shampoo bottle (though not so much anymore) might be simply lather, rinse, repeat. Such a thing would be very confusing if you did't have the technical and/or cultural knowledge to know what the heck "lather" means or know that repeat implies only once or "if desired."
ReplyDeletePoor Amelia Badelia... she never got clued in.
I really like this idea of the abstract being somehow rooted in the concrete. I'm reminded of an interaction I had with a kid a few years ago when I was working as a preschool teacher. We were at a park and he came running over with a stick in his hand. He held it up to me (he was about 2 1/2 and very verbal) and said "this is my life." "That's your life?" I asked. "Yup," he replied. "This is my life. This is my mom and my dad and Portland and my house and the village [the daycare] and the park and my dog and Jason and Kim and Kate and Neal and Alyssa and you and [and etc]. This is my life. And I need you to hold my life for me for a bit." He handed my the stick. I held on to it for a few minutes until he came running back yelling "my life! My life! I need my life!" That interaction amazed me then and it amazes me now. I was amazed not only by his creativity but also by his ability to take an incredibly abstract concept, such as "life," and place all that life entails on an object he could hold and manipulate... It seemed poetic in a way.
id 915383501