The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The Network-Extended Mind

The Network-Extended Mind
The Network-Extended Mind
Whereas the traditional view in cognitive science has been to view mind and cognition as something that is the result of essentially inner, neural processes, the extended cognition perspective claims that at least some human mental states and processes stem from complex webs of causal influence involving extra-neural resources, most notably the resources of our social and technological environments. In this chapter, we explore the possibility that contemporary and near-future network systems are poised to extend and perhaps transform our human cognitive potential. We also examine the extent to which the information and network sciences are relevant to our understanding of various forms of cognitive extension, particularly with respect to the formation, maintenance and functioning of extended cognitive systems in network-enabled environments. Our claim is that the information and network sciences are relevant on two counts: firstly, they support an understanding of the mechanisms underpinning socially- and technologically-mediated forms of cognitive extension; secondly, they serve to guide and inform engineering efforts that strive to enhance and expand our cognitive capabilities. We discuss the relevance and applicability of these conclusions to current and future research exploring the contribution of network technologies to military coalition operations.
cognitive extension, extended mind, externalism, network-enabled capabilities, network science, human cognition, group processes, web science, memory, human intelligence, network technology, distributed cognition
978-1615208555
191-236
IGI Global
Smart, Paul R
cd8a3dbf-d963-4009-80fb-76ecc93579df
Engelbrecht, Paula C
0f2e8554-abe0-45a5-b936-e88c1b459e0e
Braines, Dave
09e96745-c478-4a3d-9a3b-46e0f0e3ac18
Strub, Michael
18d84737-3880-4565-a9a0-5b058da56250
Giammanco, Cheryl
5b2c8827-0000-4cae-ae67-96ac545e40d0
Verma, Dinesh
Smart, Paul R
cd8a3dbf-d963-4009-80fb-76ecc93579df
Engelbrecht, Paula C
0f2e8554-abe0-45a5-b936-e88c1b459e0e
Braines, Dave
09e96745-c478-4a3d-9a3b-46e0f0e3ac18
Strub, Michael
18d84737-3880-4565-a9a0-5b058da56250
Giammanco, Cheryl
5b2c8827-0000-4cae-ae67-96ac545e40d0
Verma, Dinesh

Smart, Paul R, Engelbrecht, Paula C, Braines, Dave, Strub, Michael and Giammanco, Cheryl (2010) The Network-Extended Mind. In, Verma, Dinesh (ed.) Network Science for Military Coalition Operations: Information Extraction and Interaction. IGI Global, pp. 191-236.

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

Whereas the traditional view in cognitive science has been to view mind and cognition as something that is the result of essentially inner, neural processes, the extended cognition perspective claims that at least some human mental states and processes stem from complex webs of causal influence involving extra-neural resources, most notably the resources of our social and technological environments. In this chapter, we explore the possibility that contemporary and near-future network systems are poised to extend and perhaps transform our human cognitive potential. We also examine the extent to which the information and network sciences are relevant to our understanding of various forms of cognitive extension, particularly with respect to the formation, maintenance and functioning of extended cognitive systems in network-enabled environments. Our claim is that the information and network sciences are relevant on two counts: firstly, they support an understanding of the mechanisms underpinning socially- and technologically-mediated forms of cognitive extension; secondly, they serve to guide and inform engineering efforts that strive to enhance and expand our cognitive capabilities. We discuss the relevance and applicability of these conclusions to current and future research exploring the contribution of network technologies to military coalition operations.

Text
NEM_Chapter.pdf - Author's Original
Download (696kB)

More information

Published date: 31 March 2010
Additional Information: Chapter: 10
Keywords: cognitive extension, extended mind, externalism, network-enabled capabilities, network science, human cognition, group processes, web science, memory, human intelligence, network technology, distributed cognition
Organisations: Web & Internet Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 267739
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/267739
ISBN: 978-1615208555
PURE UUID: df8c0d6a-7eb9-4bea-a2d0-1715bff7ea46
ORCID for Paul R Smart: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9989-5307

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 25 Nov 2009 09:42
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:15

Export record

Contributors

Author: Paul R Smart ORCID iD
Author: Paula C Engelbrecht
Author: Dave Braines
Author: Michael Strub
Author: Cheryl Giammanco
Editor: Dinesh Verma

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×