Embodied schema information processing theory: an underlying mechanism of embodied cognition in communication.

This article focuses on the role of past bodily experiences in communication processes through the concept of embodied schemas and introduces the Embodied Schema Information Processing Theory (ESIPT). Embodied schemas are defined as multilevel mental structures grounded in sensorimotor and bodily functions that automatically influence cognitive processing by activating cognitive potentials—physiological and psychological changes shaped by past experiences. ESIPT integrates embodied schemas into a dual-process framework, distinguishing between automatic embodied processing and effortful high-level cognition, and proposes a model illustrating how environmental stimuli and bodily states activate embodied schemas to affect information processing and communication outcomes. The theory offers a framework for understanding individual and group differences in communication effects based on variations in embodied schemas and suggests applications in strategic messaging and health communication, emphasizing the importance of incorporating bodily experiences into communication research.