Embodiment in Judgment and Choice
Martin Reimann
University of Southern California
Wilko Feye
Otto von Guericke University
Alan J. Malter
University of Illinois at Chicago
Joshua M. Ackerman
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Raquel Castan ˜o
Tecnolo ´gico de Monterrey
Nitika Garg
University of New South Wales
Robert Kreuzbauer
Nanyang Technological University
Aparna A. Labroo
University of Toronto
Angela Y. Lee
Northwestern University
Maureen Morrin
Rutgers University
Gergana Y. Nenkov
Boston College
Jesper H. Nielsen
University of Arizona
Maria Perez
Tecnolo ´gico de Monterrey
Gratiana Pol
University of Southern California
Jose ´ Antonio Rosa
University of Wyoming
Carolyn Yoon
University of Michigan
Chen-Bo Zhong
University of Toronto
This article discusses the role of embodiment in judgment and choice to (a) attain
clarity on conceptual and methodological issues by presenting a literature review of
prior empirical research on embodiment, (b) gain an integrative view on the topic of
embodiment in judgment and choice by proposing somatic marker theory as a unifying
conceptual framework for bridging cognition and affect in terms of embodiment, and
(c) discuss and clarify ideas and directions for further research on the topic.
Keywords: embodiment, embodied affect, embodied cognition, somatic marker theory, decision
neuroscience
Research on embodiment explores the role of
bodily perceptions, its possible emotional roots,
and effects on downstream cognitive processing
such as judgment and choice. The central role of
bodily perceptions has been advanced by the
theory of embodied cognition (sometimes re-
ferred to as grounded cognition). This theory
typically holds that the body exerts a strong
influence on shaping an individual’s cognitive
representations (Barsalou, 2008; Glenberg,
1997; Malter, 1996). For example, early re-
search on embodiment wondered why nodding
one’s head (vs. shaking it) influences the degree
to which one agrees with a persuasive message
(Wells & Petty, 1980) or why standing upright
(vs. slumping) increases persistence on an in-
Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics © 2012 American Psychological Association
2012, Vol. 5, No. 2, 104 –123 1937-321X/12/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0026855
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