How Bodily Interaction Shapes Creativity: Two Experiments on Direction and Type

To address the challenges in embodied creativity research, this study innovatively developed a new mirror game experimental paradigm based on the dual theoretical framework of embodied metaphor and enactive metaphor. From the perspective of embodied metaphor, the study investigates how “body interaction direction” (imitation vs. avoidance) influences delayed creativity. From the perspective of enactive metaphor, it examines how “body interaction type” (leader–follower vs. Joint Improvisation) shapes immediate creativity and reveals the overall effects of their interaction on creativity. Two experiments were conducted in this study: Experiment 1 focused on virtual human–machine interaction, and Experiment 2 explored real-life human–human interaction. Experiment 1 validated the synergistic effects of body interaction direction and type on individual creativity dimensions, with Joint Improvisation showing significant advantages. Experiment 2 further demonstrated that embodied and enactive metaphors exhibit significant synergistic effects on group creativity, with the leader–follower interaction pattern showing distinct value in the context of interaction effects. The general discussion highlights that embodied and enactive metaphors, as dual mechanisms, provide a theoretical breakthrough for understanding creativity, spanning human–machine and human–human interactions. Within the framework of enactive cognition, this study further expands the sense-making function of metaphor theory in creativity development.