Embodied Cognition With and Without Mental Representations: The Case of Embodied Choices in Sports
Frontiers in Psychology August 7, 2019 M. Raab, D. Araújo 67 citations
This conceptual analysis examines how embodied cognition can operate with or without mental representations, using judgment and decision-making in sports as a lens. The authors do not advocate for a single theoretical approach but instead present two contrasting perspectives: one that assumes mental representations mediate between athlete and environment, and another that assumes direct contact without representation. They outline definitions and constructs, detail the underlying theories, and comment on two published empirical studies to illustrate each approach. The paper concludes by discussing commonalities, divergences, and the consequences of adopting each perspective in sports research.