distributed cognition

Information about distributed cognition

Part of the series on
Cyborgs
Cyborgology
Bionics / Biomimicry
Biomedical engineering
Brain-Computer Interface
Cybernetics
Distributed Cognition
Genetic Engineering
Human Ecosystem
Human Enhancement
Intelligence amplification
Theory
Cyborg theory
Postgenderism
Centers
Cyberpunk
Cyberspace
Politics
Cognitive Liberty
Cyberpunk
Cyborg Feminism
Crypto-Anarchism
Extropianism
Morphological Freedom
Singularitarianism
Transhumanism
  •  • [ e] 
Distributed cognition "focusing beyond the boundaries of the individual"

(DCog) is a theory of psychology developed in the mid 1980s by Edwin Hutchins. Using insights from sociology, cognitive science, and the psychology of Vygotsky (cf activity theory) it emphasizes the social aspects of cognition. It is a framework (not a method) that involves the co-ordination between individuals and artifacts. It is comprised of two key components: 1) the representations that information is held in and transformed across 2) the process by which representations are co-ordinated with each other.

Distributed cognition is a branch of cognitive science that proposes that human knowledge and cognition are not confined to the individual. Instead, it is distributed by placing memories, facts, or knowledge on the objects, individuals, and tools in our environment. Distributed cognition is a useful approach for (re)designing social aspects of cognition by putting emphasis on the individual and his/her environment. Distributed cognition views a system as a set of representations, and models the interchange of information between these representations. These representations can be either in the mental space of the participants or external representations available in the environment.

Distributed cognition as a theory of learning, i.e. one in which the development of knowledge is attributed to the system of human agents interacting dynamically with artifacts, has been widely applied in the field of distance learning, especially in relation to Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and other computer-supported learning tools. Distributed cognition illustrates the process of interaction between people and technologies in order to determine how to best represent, store and provide access to digital resources and other artifacts.

With the new research that is emerging in this field, the overarching concept of DCog enhances our understanding of interaction between humans, machines and the environment.

References

  • Hutchins, E. (1995) Cognition in the Wild (ISBN 0-262-58146-9) (MIT Press).
  • Hutchins, E. (1995) "How a cockpit remembers its speeds". Cognitive Science, 19, 265-288.
  • Norman, D.A. (1993) "Things that make us smart" (Addison-Wesley).
  • Perry, M. (2003) "Distributed Cognition". In J.M. Carroll (Ed.) "HCI Models, Theories, and Frameworks: Toward an Interdisciplinary Science" (Morgan Kaufmann) 193-223.
  • Rogers, Y. and Scaife, M. (1997)
  • Zhang, J. & Norman, D.A. (1994) "Representations in Distributed Cognitive Tasks", Cognitive Science, 18, 87-122.
  • Salomon, Gavriel. (1993) Distributed cognitions: Psychological and educational considerations. (ISBN 0-521-57423-4) (Cambridge University Press).

See also

A cyborg is a cybernetic organism (i.e. an organism that is a self-regulating integration of artificial and natural systems). The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems
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Bionics (also known as biomimetics, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering) is the application of methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
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Biomimicry is a relatively new science that studies nature, her models, systems, processes and elements and then imitates or takes creative inspiration from them to solve human problems.

In the 1997 book, "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature", Janine M.
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Biomedical engineering (BME) is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with the medical and biological science to help improve patient health care and the quality of life
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A brain-computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a direct neural interface or a brain-machine interface, is a direct communication pathway between a human or animal brain (or brain cell culture) and an external device.
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Cybernetics was defined by Norbert Wiener, in his book of that title, as the study of control and communication in the animal and the machine. Stafford Beer called it the science of effective organization and Gordon Pask extended it to include information flows "in all
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Genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM) and gene splicing are terms that are applied to the direct manipulation of an organisms genes.
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Human ecosystems are complex cybernetic systems that are increasingly being used by ecological anthropologists and other scholars to examine the ecological aspects of human communities in a way that integrates multiple factors as economics, socio-political organization,
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Human enhancement refers to any attempt, whether temporary or permanent, to overcome the current limitations of the human body, whether through natural or artificial means.
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Intelligence amplification (IA) (also referred to as cognitive augmentation and machine augmented intelligence) refers to the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence.
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Cyborg theory was created by Donna Haraway in order to criticise traditional notions of feminism -- particularly its strong emphasis on identity, rather than affinity. She uses the metaphor of a cyborg in order to construct a postmodern feminism that moves beyond dualisms and
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Transgenderism is a social movement seeking transgender rights and affirming transgender pride. More recently, the term has also been used as a synonym for postgenderism, a social philosophy which seeks the voluntary elimination of gender in the human species through the
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Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". The name, derived from cybernetics and punk, was originally developed as a marketing term and coined by Bruce Bethke in his short story "Cyberpunk" published in 1983[1]
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Cyberspace is a domain characterized by the use of electronics and the electromagnetic spectrum to store, modify, and exchange data via networked systems and associated physical infrastructures.
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Cognitive liberty is the freedom to be the absolute sovereignty of the individual’s own consciousness. It is an extension of the concepts of freedom of thought and self-ownership.
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Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life". The name, derived from cybernetics and punk, was originally developed as a marketing term and coined by Bruce Bethke in his short story "Cyberpunk" published in 1983[1]
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Crypto-anarchism is an ideology that expounds the use of strong public-key cryptography to enforce privacy and individual freedom. It is a cyberspatial realization of anarchism.
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Extropianism, also referred to as extropism or extropy, is an evolving framework of values and standards for continuously improving the human condition. Extropians believe that advances in science and technology will some day let people live forever in principle and further
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Singularitarianism is a moral philosophy based upon the belief that a technological singularity — the technological creation of smarter-than-human intelligence — is possible, and advocating deliberate action to bring it into effect and ensure its safety.
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Posthuman Future, an illustration by Michael Gibbs for The Chronicle of Higher Education's look at how biotechnology will change the human experience, has become one of the secular icons representing transhumanism.
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Psychology (from Greek: Literally "talk about the soul" (from logos)) is both an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior.
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Edwin Hutchins is a professor and former department head of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego. Hutchins is one of the main developers of distributed cognition.
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Sociology (from Latin: socitus, "companion"; and the suffix -ology, "the study of", from Greek λόγος, lógos, "knowledge") is the systematic and scientific study of society and societal behavior.
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Cognitive science is most simply defined as the scientific study either of mind or of intelligence (e.g. Luger 1994). It is an interdisciplinary study drawing from relevant fields including psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, computer science,
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Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (Russian: Лев Семёнович Выготский) (November 17 (November 5 Old Style), 1896 – June 11, 1934) was a Soviet developmental
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Activity theory is a psychological meta-theory, paradigm, or framework, with its roots in the Soviet psychologist Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology. Its founders were Alexei N.
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Distance education, or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on the pedagogy/andragogy, technology, and instructional systems design that aim to deliver education to students who are not physically "on site".
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Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is a research topic on supporting collaborative learning with the help of computers. It is related to Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). CSCL cuts across research in psychology, computer science, and education.
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Activity theory is a psychological meta-theory, paradigm, or framework, with its roots in the Soviet psychologist Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology. Its founders were Alexei N.
..... Click the link for more information.
Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is a research topic on supporting collaborative learning with the help of computers. It is related to Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). CSCL cuts across research in psychology, computer science, and education.
..... Click the link for more information.

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