On Applying Integrative Design-Oriented Cognitive Science to Hypertext: A Framework for Cognitive Productivity
Keynote presentation at Human'22 workshop prior to the ACM Hypertext 2022 conference
This document describes and links to a keynote presentation of mine given at the Human ’22 Workshop prior to the ACM Hypertext 2022 conference.
PDF
The PDF of my paper is available on ResearchGate as Beaudoin, 2022 - On applying integrative design-oriented cognitive science to hypertext: a framework for cognitive productivity. I’ve also attached the PDF to this article:
Youtube
I uploaded a longer version of my keynote presentation to youtube here.
Abstract of paper
The abstract to my paper is:
In The Reflective Practitioner [10], Donald Schön argued that ap-
plying science is not a simple matter of drawing logical implica-
tions from theory. Practice is messy. How might cognitive science
inform the development of hypertext applications? Empirically ori-
ented researchers might proceed in a ‘lean’ fashion, treating designs
as hypotheses to be induced from and tested by data. Instead, in
my talk I will show ways in which an integrative design-oriented
(IDO) approach to understanding humans as autonomous agents
[3] might help design hypertext apps. The approach suggests im-
portant problems to address and original ways to think about them.
Conversely, designing and testing software can inform our IDO
theories. I will illustrate the IDO approach with a theory of, and
application for, sleep onset and insomnolence. Then I will focus
mainly on hypertext applications that are more directly aimed at
improving ‘cognitive productivity’, meaning how efficiently and
effectively one uses knowledge resources to solve problems, deliver
services, create products and ultimately improve oneself.
Cognitive science is meant to be the interdisciplinary computa-
tional study of brain-based and artificial information processing.
In practice, cognitive scientists almost exclusively focus on classi-
cal or ‘dry’ cognition (memory, perception, reasoning, language,
etc.) Emotion, motivation and ancillary functions tend at most to
be viewed as distinct processes that can interact with cognition.
In contrast, the IDO approach is necessarily integrative, seriously
attempting to understand diverse blended mental functions, in-
cluding motivational, affective and ancillary processes. It is partly
inspired by artificial general intelligence [8]. While authentically
interdisciplinary, the IDO approach is necessarily design-oriented
meaning it revolves around attempts to reverse-engineer functional-
ity (the ‘designer stance’). It values specification and understanding
of competence over prediction. It posits and is intrinsically con-
cerned with requirements of autonomous interdependent agency
(humans and other automata), such as the necessity of pursuing
multiple top-level motivators in contexts of danger and despite
limited knowledge. Two examples of research in this tradition are
[1, 12].
This is the approach that inspired my Cognitive Productivity books, the mySleepButton app, the mySelfQuantifier system, and the Hookmark Mac and iPhone app.