APPROACHES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EMBODIED COGNITION: THE HANDS AND HOW THEY ARE INVOLVED IN PROBLEM SOLVING

Abstract

Language is widely recognized as a fundamental tool for resolving everyday problems and shaping the environment. Recent years have seen an increasing body of evidence highlighting the integration of the body, particularly the hands, with speech and their implications in interactions within the physical and social domains. Drawing from empirical findings, embodied cognition perspectives have shifted their focus towards perception and action, moving away from an exclusive emphasis on mental representation, albeit without completely discarding it. Consequently, this article delves into the exploration of how hand gestures play a role in problem-solving, especially in tackling complex challenges, and to what extent they can operate independently from symbol manipulation. Considering that gestures can encompass simulated actions, representational activities, or even function as tools for environmental modification, the potential of embracing non-representationalist approaches, deviating from traditional computational methodologies, is examined for the scientific study of gestures. Furthermore, the emergence of gestures in social interactions is investigated, shedding light on their transformative potential in shaping the epistemic landscape.