Embodied Cognition and Cultural Memory Awakening in Elderly Mortise-and-Tenon Puzzle Toy Design: A Three-Layer Progressive Model

Xue Wang and Mohd Rosli Bin Arshad

Design Insights, 2026, vol. 3, issue 1, 57-65

Abstract: Under the dual pressures of global population aging and the urgent need for cultural heritage preservation, leveraging innovative product design to activate the cultural memories of elderly populations has emerged as a critical focus. Addressing both cognitive health and emotional needs is now a significant issue within design psychology and age-friendly product development. This study adopts embodied cognition theory as its core theoretical framework, systematically integrating multisensory experience design and reminiscence therapy. Specifically, it utilizes the traditional Luban Lock mortise-and-tenon puzzle toy as an in-depth analytical case study to explore these dynamics. A comprehensive three-layer progressive model is constructed, comprising multisensory collaborative activation, action schema construction, and emotional memory awakening. These layers directly correspond to the sequential cognitive pathways of bodily perception, cognitive engagement, and profound emotional resonance. The study conclusively demonstrates that the unique sensorimotor properties of natural wooden materials, when combined with the rich cultural symbol system inherent in mortise-and-tenon structures, can highly effectively activate elderly users' procedural and emotional memories. Furthermore, this embodied learning process provides a unique, highly accessible channel for the internalization of cultural knowledge that successfully transcends conventional linguistic and visual media limitations. Ultimately, the findings offer robust theoretical foundations and actionable practical references for advancing age-friendly product design based on embodied cognition, while simultaneously promoting the contemporary revitalization and sustainable transmission of traditional craftsmanship.

Keywords: embodied cognition; multisensory experience; cultural memory; product design; aging population (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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