Q&A: Art Glenberg, on how the body affects the mind

Smartplanet:

Psychologists and philosophers have long thought of the brain as the primary tool for all abstract thinking,  like reasoning or judgment. But recently, science has been changing its mind on this.

…

Our awareness of this phenomenon will have a profound impact on our day-to-day behavior. We now know that our facial expressions can absolutely change our moods. And that children are more successful in math if they use their hands and bodies to guide themselves through algebraic problems. In fact, a new study suggests that the number one thing we can do to preserve our brain function is to be physically active — regardless of any intellectual enrichment.

SmartPlanet spoke with one of the founding fathers of the embodied cognition field, Art Glenberg, professor of psychology at Arizona State University, to talk about this turn of events in how we consider mind and body.

Read the whole story: Smartplanet