Dear reseachers, educators, and policy makers,

 

I hope this email finds you well!

My name is Jinming Li, a PhD student from Shenzhen University, China. I am writing on behalf of Professor Fred Paas (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Professor Liye Zou (Shenzhen University), and Professor Myrto F. Mavilidi (University of Wollongong) to invite you to join an international expert panel addressing a critical challenge in embodiment research.

As you may be aware, the embodiment research community suffers from significant terminological fragmentation. Researchers across psychology, education, neuroscience, and AI use over 20 different terms (embodied cognition, grounded cognition, enactivism, situated learning, etc.) to describe related phenomena, creating a "Tower of Babel" that hinders cumulative science, evidence synthesis, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We have recently submitted an editorial article highlighting this issue and calling for a unified vocabulary framework.

We are now launching an international consensus study to develop a common-core vocabulary and conceptual framework for embodiment-related constructs. Our goal is not to force theoretical uniformity, but to establish shared terminology that makes conceptual overlap and divergence explicit, ultimately facilitating better communication, research synthesis, and effective translation to practice.

Your expertise in embodied cognition, extended mind, and phenomenology, particularly your work on the ecological-enactive perspective and predictive processing, makes your perspective invaluable to this initiative.We are assembling a diverse, interdisciplinary panel of 15-25 international experts to ensure the framework reflects the field's theoretical breadth and empirical depth.

What's Involved (approximately 12 months, starting November 2025)

Three Delphi rounds (tentatively Jan, Mar, May 2026; online questionnaires, approximately 30 min each)
Round 1: Provide perspectives on key embodiment terms
Round 2: Rate and refine the synthesized terminology framework
Round 3: Finalize consensus on core vocabulary and usage guidelines

Two online consensus meetings (tentatively May & July 2026; approximately 60 min each)
Discuss remaining points of divergence and reach final agreement on contentious terms

Review and feedback (Nov 2025-Oct 2026; approximately 3-4 rounds)
Initial: Research proposal and methodology (Nov-Dec 2025)
Final: Consensus paper drafts (Aug-Oct 2026)

Outcome: Co-authorship on a high-impact consensus paper and practical terminology glossary

We recognize this requires a meaningful time commitment, but we believe the outcome, a field-wide reference framework, will be transformative. Your contribution would be instrumental in shaping the future of our field.

Thank you very much for considering this invitation. We sincerely hope to have the benefit of your expertise.