One Puzzle, Two Ways of Puzzling
In the form of an experiment, this project investigates how and the degree to which bodily engagement can enhance cognitive performance in a memory-based puzzle.
A central claim within the embodied cognition framework instigated the investigation. Namely, physical features of the body and its interaction with the environment constitute or contribute to cognition. Viewing cognition as embodied contrasts with the traditional view that the mind processes all information, creates mental representations of what is perceived, and uses those representations to control bodily behavior. Cognitive processing is rather understood as embodied, extended, embedded, and enacted — exceeding the inner workings of the skull.
Conducted in the context of an exhibition, the experiment involved each participant solving a puzzle on two different devices. The video below demonstrates a participant scoring three points on the digital button device and six points on the analog button device.
- In collaboration with Peng Song.
- Shown at the exhibition Science to Experience at Snellius Gebouw, Leiden, The Netherlands 2020. Hosted by V2_ Lab for the Unstable Media.