Abstract
Movement is critical to surviving and thriving, to expression, to thought. It is a foundational capability, enabling many other human activities, and sometimes the vehicle for extraordinary human achievement. Movement is a product of the events and processes of the mind, brain, and body, as well as a reflection of diverse influences, from the physical, social, and cultural environment to the body's structure and function. Movement has often been a subject of philosophical discourse, part of the triumvirate of mind, brain, and body. Despite this history, in many ways, movement may never have been so integral in psychological thought as it is today, as reflected in the burgeoning research related to the concept of embodiment, as well as the revelations regarding the mirror neuron system. In embodiment, motor actions precede and sometimes influence thought, language, and emotions (see Glenberg, 2010, for a review). Embodiment highlights the shared architecture and interconnectedness of motor, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of behavior – a principal theme in this essay.
Highlights
Research findings support the idea that facial expressions can induce the mood they portray (e.g., Duclos et al, 1989)
When body movements were inhibited by asking participants to hold a pen with their lips, preventing them from smiling, cartoons were rated as being less funny, compared to when facial expression was not inhibited, or facilitated by having them hold a pen between their teeth (Strack et al, 1988)
In a recent study (Havas et al, 2010), after Botox injections into muscles used in frowning, the reading of sentences with emotional content was slowed
Summary
Research findings support the idea that facial expressions can induce the mood they portray (e.g., Duclos et al, 1989). The intertwined nature of movement, cognition, emotion, and the influence of the social and cultural context in which performance takes place, has become increasingly obvious in recent years. Social-cognitive-affective-motor behavior insight for both traditional (information processing) motor learning and socialcognitive researchers alike, not to mention scientists who don’t study movement per se.
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