A Discussion of James J. Gibson’s Theory of Visual Perception in the Context of Embodied Cognition

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss James J. Gibson's theory of visual perception in the context of embodied cognition. First, Gibson's theory is discussed in the context of simple vs. radical embodiment distinction proposed by Clark (348). Then, it is discussed in the context of conceptualization, replacement and constitution categorization proposed by Shapiro (Embodied Cognition: New… 4). In order to highlight similarities and the differences, Gibson's theory is also compared with other studies advocating the embodiment such as Thelen et al.'s (1) dynamical approach to cognitive development, O'Regan and Noë's (A sensory motor account… 1; What is it like… 1) sensorimotor approach to perception and Varela et al.'s (1) enactive approach to cognition. The paper ends with a summary of the meaning of the embodiment in Gibson's theory.

Keywords

• Embodied Cognition
• Visual Perception
• Ecological Approach to Visual Perception
• Simple Embodiment
• Radical Embodiment
• Enactive Approach