University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras led research that demonstratedthat physical movements, such as eye movements or arm swinging, can aid in problem solving.

Body Movements Can Influence Problem-Solving
Written by: Diana Yates, Life Sciences Editor, News Bureau/Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, lll. – Swinging their arms helped participants in a new study solve a problem whose solution involved swinging strings, researchers report, demonstrating that the brain can use bodily cues to help understand and solve complex problems.

The study, appearing in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, is the first to show that a person’s ability to solve a problem can be influenced by how he or she moves.

“Our manipulation is changing the way people think,” said University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras, who conducted the study with Vanderbilt University postdoctoral researcher Laura Thomas, his former graduate student. “In other words, by directing the way people move their bodies, we are – unbeknownst to them – directing the way they think about the problem.” read more.