Embodied Interaction and Spatial Skills: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

Abstract

Embodied interaction describes the interplay between the brain and the body and its influence on the sharing, creation and manipulation of meaningful interactions with technology. Spatial skills entail the acquisition, organization, utilization and revision of knowledge about spatial environments. Embodied interaction is a rapidly growing topic in human–computer interaction with the potential to amplify human interaction and communication capacities, while spatial skills are regarded as key enablers for the successful management of cognitive tasks. This work provides a systematic review of empirical studies focused on embodied interaction and spatial skills. Thirty-six peer-reviewed articles were systematically collected and analysed according to their main elements. The results summarize and distil the developments concerning embodied interaction and spatial skills over the past decade. We identify embodied interaction capacities found in the literature review that help us to enhance and develop spatial skills. Lastly, we discuss implications for research and practice and highlight directions for future work.