Investigating embodied mathematical reasoning in a touch-based interactive vector system through motor interference

Abstract

Embodied cognition suggests that mathematical reasoning can be constituted by sensorimotor engagement rather than occurring independently of the body. We examined whether directed gestures in a tablet-based learning tool, Touchy-Feely Vectors (TFV), become integral to students’ vector reasoning. Sixteen ninth-grade students were randomly assigned to TFV or paper-and-pencil instruction and later completed two interference experiments. In Experiment 1, students solved vector problems with and without finger weights to test whether motor disruption impaired performance. Finger weights reduced overall accuracy (p = .055), but the effect was comparable across groups. In Experiment 2, students solved vector problems following gesture-video primes that were either compatible or incompatible with the correct answer. Response times showed only a marginal compatibility x group interaction (p = .054), with no main effects. Unexpectedly, TFV students underperformed relative to controls, likely due to reduced instructional time and logistical constraints. Together, the findings suggest boundary conditions for embodiment effects: active motor interference modestly affected reasoning, whereas passive gesture priming did not. Broadly, this work highlights how motor-interference and compatibility paradigms could be leveraged in mathematics and physics education research as scalable ways to assess embodiment, framing instructional designs along a continuum rather than as binary categories.