Embodied Cognition: The Influence of a Stable or Unstable Environment

Indianapolis, IN

Previous research has demonstrated that a relationship exists between an individual’s environment and their perception of the world. Theories of embodied cognition best explain this relationship. Kill, Forest, and Wood (2012) discovered evidence of embodiment when individuals’ experiences of physical instability influenced their perception of other people’s relationships as well as preferences in a potential romantic partner. This study proposes two hypotheses: 1) those with stable furniture will predict relationships to last longer than those with unstable furniture, and 2) those in the presence of music will predict a different outcome of relationships than those without music. The participants are a convenience sample from science classes at Goshen College. Each participant will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions: stable furniture with no music, stable furniture with music, unstable furniture with no music, and unstable furniture with music. A between subjects design with a 2-Way ANOVA will be conducted to measure participants’ perceptions of the stability of famous’ couples relationships.