Research article summary (published 30 Jul 2009):

Swinging into thought: directed movement guides insight in problem solving.

Full Abstract

Can directed actions unconsciously influence higher order cognitive processing? We investigated how movement interventions affected participants' ability to solve a classic insight problem. The participants attempted to solve Maier's two-string problem while occasionally taking exercise breaks during which they moved their arms either in a manner related to the problem's solution (swing group) or in a manner inconsistent with the solution (stretch group). Although most of the participants were unaware of the relationship between their arm movement exercises and the problem-solving task, the participants who moved their arms in a manner that suggested the problem's solution were more likely to solve the problem than were those who moved their arms in other ways. Consistent with embodied theories of cognition, these findings show that actions influence thought and, furthermore, that we can implicitly guide people toward insight by directing their actions.

Author information

Author/s: Thomas, Laura E (LE); Lleras, Alejandro (A);

Affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. laura.e.thomas(-atsign-)vanderbilt.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Psychonomic bulletin & review (Psychon Bull Rev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Aug; vol 16 (issue 4) : pp 719-23

Dates: Created 2009/08/03; Completed 2009/10/13;

PMID: 19648458, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/13/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Awareness Concept Formation Exercise - psychology Humans Intuition Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics)

Mind-Body Relations (Metaphysics) Orientation Problem Solving Psychomotor Performance Thinking Unconscious (Psychology)

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