How did phenomenology influence cognitive science?

Phenomenology, a philosophical movement focused on the direct investigation of consciousness and subjective experience, has increasingly influenced research within cognitive science.12

While cognitive science has traditionally been dominated by information-processing models—which often compare the mind to a computer—phenomenology offers an alternative perspective by emphasizing the essential involvement of human existence in the world. Specifically, phenomenological insights have contributed to the field in the following ways:23

• Embodied Cognition: Drawing on the work of philosophers like Maurice Merleau-Ponty, researchers have explored how human perception and knowledge are grounded in the "lived body." This challenges purely computational models by suggesting that the body is a mediating link to the world rather than just a physical vessel for a processor.45
• Subjective Experience: Phenomenology encourages the exploration of subjective experience, which provides a framework for understanding phenomena that are difficult to capture through objective, third-person scientific observation alone.26
• Intentionality: The concept of intentionality—the directedness of consciousness toward an object—has been utilized to describe how cognitive processes are inherently linked to the world they perceive, rather than existing as isolated internal states.65

By bridging the gap between philosophical inquiry and empirical study, phenomenology helps cognitive science address the complexities of human presence and meaning-making.25