Movement-meaning congruency is the only moderator consistently associated with stronger embodied vocabulary learning effects across both research designs¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 In between-subject designs, congruent movements yielded larger effects (g = 0.74) than non-congruent movements (g = 0.38). → Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur 2026 q3 i2 In within-subject designs, congruent movements yielded larger gains (g = 0.41) than non-congruent movements (g = −0.17). → Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur 2026¶

Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur. (2026). From Body to Word: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis of Embodied Vocabulary Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10194-9

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Between-subject meta-regression of movement-meaning congruency. Congruent movements (g = 0.74) outperformed non-congruent movements (g = 0.38), a significant moderation (F = 6.52, p = .01).

"movement-meaning congruency significantly moderated vocabulary learning outcomes ( F = 6.52, p = .01), with congruent movements ( g = 0.74, 95% CI [0.52, 0.97]) yielding larger effects than non-congruent movements ( g = 0.38, 95% CI [0.10, 0.67])."

Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur 2026 (2)¶

Xiaoxuan Li · Julia Chatain · Fan Wang · Manu Kapur. (2026). From Body to Word: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis of Embodied Vocabulary Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10194-9

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r3

Within-subject meta-regression of movement-meaning congruency. Congruent movements (g = 0.41) outperformed non-congruent movements (g = −0.17), significant at F = 22.66, p < .001.

"movement-meaning congruency was identified as a significant moderator ( F = 22.66, p < .001), with congruent movements ( g = 0.41, 95% CI [0.25, 0.57]) associated with larger learning gains compared with non-congruent movements ( g = −0.17, 95% CI [−0.41, 0.07])."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Embodied learning significantly improves vocabulary learning outcomes compared with non-embodied conditions in between-subject designs (Hedges' g = 0.65) — related
• Amount of sensorimotor engagement, target language, proficiency, and type of embodied interaction do not significantly moderate embodied vocabulary learning effects — related
• In exploratory between-subject analyses, embodied learning showed larger effects against passive non-embodied controls (g = 0.43) than against active non-embodied controls (g = 0.86) — related