Mental simulation(s) and memory: cognitive and sensorimotor mechanisms underlying embodied memory processes

Mental simulation is a widely investigated construct within the embodied cognition literature, and has been applied to a diverse range of cognitive processes and outcomes. However, there remains a lack of research systematically examining the distinct characteristics of these simulations and their implications for cognition, particularly memory. Across seven studies, the present work aims at addressing this gap by disentangling different types of mental simulation, ranging from action observation, language comprehension, to mental imagery, identifying specific modulatory factors and illustrating their complex role in different memory processes. In Study 1, we review the literature on mental simulation, delineate key distinctions among different types of simulations and propose a taxonomy positioning them along a continuum. Study 2 then provides empirical evidence for their differential effects on episodic memory enhancement. Subsequently, we investigate various cognitive factors underlying sensorimotor simulations. Specifically, we examine the role of predictability, both from a linguistic (Study 3) and contextual versus motor (Study 4) point of view, in the creation of false memories for actions. Study 5 further explores the role of linguistic and sensorimotor context, applied to the QWERTY-keyboard paradigm, investigating both implicit and explicit memory. Finally, Studies 6 and 7, also employing the QWERTY paradigm, investigate a distinct form of implicit motor memory, namely motor fluency, showing that this type of sensorimotor simulation is modulated not only by motor expertise but also suggesting it has considerably changed over the past decade. Overall, our findings underscore the conceptual complexity of “mental simulation”, suggesting that it may be differentially modulated by several cognitive and sensorimotor mechanisms with relevant implications for different types of memory processes. These results emphasize the need for analytically differentiated approaches in future research on “embodied memory”.