Embodied Interaction and Spatial Skills: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

Abstract

Embodied interaction describes the interplay between the brain and the body and its influence on the sharing, creation and manipulation of meaningful interactions with technology. Spatial skills entail the acquisition, organization, utilization and revision of knowledge about spatial environments. Embodied interaction is a rapidly growing topic in human–computer interaction with the potential to amplify human interaction and communication capacities, while spatial skills are regarded as key enablers for the successful management of cognitive tasks. This work provides a systematic review of empirical studies focused on embodied interaction and spatial skills. Thirty-six peer-reviewed articles were systematically collected and analysed according to their main elements. The results summarize and distil the developments concerning embodied interaction and spatial skills over the past decade. We identify embodied interaction capacities found in the literature review that help us to enhance and develop spatial skills. Lastly, we discuss implications for research and practice and highlight directions for future work.

The Quest of Spatial Presence by Puzzle-Solving Games in VR

“…Spatial skills are a collection of human intelligence's cognitive functions, which can be regarded as the capacity to understand, recall, and manipulate spatial information and relations in space (Lee-Cultura & Giannakos,2020). Spatial skills are considered catalysts for successfully managing cognitive tasks such as imagining and reasoning about changes in their spatial positions (Zacks et al, 2000;Lee-Cultura & Giannakos, 2020).…”

A systematic survey on embodied cognition: 11 years of research in child–computer interaction

“…The survey takes a more quantitative and systematic exploration of the field. One review on embodied cognition that also summarises developments and trends is Lee-Cultura and Giannakos's [59] study, which examined 36 peer-reviewed papers over 10 years from 2008 to 2018. However, although related to embodied cognition, their review focuses mainly on the intersection of embodied interactions and spatial skills rather than a comprehensive overview of the topic.…”