Key Areas of Research in the Embodied Cognition Approach

The article describes one of the main trends in cognitive psychology — theoretical models associated with the phenomenon of embodied cognition. Three directions of current research are analyzed within the framework of the “Embodied cognition” approach: the phenomenological approach, the theory of dynamic systems, the neo-ecological approach. In the phenomenological approach two independent directions are considered: a neurophenomenology and front-loading phenomenology. Simulation theories that occupy an intermediate position between the phenomenological approach and the “Grounded Cognition” approach are described. The key elements of the neo-ecological approach are considered, within the framework of which two directions are distinguished, each of which offers its own version of the description of perceptive-motor interaction. The first direction appeals to the concept of representation and connected with the theory of common coding. The second direction uses the concept of affordance and proposes several solutions to the problem of measuring affordance. The reason for the use of the theory of dynamic systems in cognitive psychology are considered on the example of studying the error “A-not-B” in current studies of cognitive development. The actual status of the theory of dynamical systems in cognitive studies is discussed. The conclusion gives a general description of the value and novelty of the approaches described.

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