Bidirectional embodied association between debt and physical burden.

Abstract

There is a Chinese proverb saying that "when the debts are paid, the body feels light." From the perspective of embodied cognition, there may be a connection between indebtedness and the sensation of physical burden. However, the relationship between the two aspects has not been fully examined. The present research investigated the bidirectionality between indebtedness and physical burden through two studies. In Study 1, we examined the effect of the manipulation of indebtedness on the judgment of a hill slant, which varies by physical burden. Results revealed that participants in the indebted condition judged the hill as steeper than those in the control condition, while repaying the debt eliminated this effect. In Study 2, we found that physical burden enhanced the participants' perception of debt. Consistent with an embodied perspective on cognition, findings suggested the bidirectionality between indebtedness and physical burden and supported embodied simulation theory.