Difference between revisions of "Cognitive Ergonomics"
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This understanding transforms cognitive ergonomics from a field focused on managing limitations into one that creates seamless extensions of human cognitive capabilities. When done right, these technologies become part of our cognitive apparatus rather than remaining external tools requiring conscious attention - they are looked through rather than at, extending our capabilities without demanding our awareness. | This understanding transforms cognitive ergonomics from a field focused on managing limitations into one that creates seamless extensions of human cognitive capabilities. When done right, these technologies become part of our cognitive apparatus rather than remaining external tools requiring conscious attention - they are looked through rather than at, extending our capabilities without demanding our awareness. | ||
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==Further Reading== | ==Further Reading== | ||
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* Weiser, Mark and Brown, John Seely. "The Coming Age of Calm Technology" (1996) | * Weiser, Mark and Brown, John Seely. "The Coming Age of Calm Technology" (1996) | ||
* Norman, Donald. "The Psychology of Everyday Things" (1988) | * Norman, Donald. "The Psychology of Everyday Things" (1988) | ||
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Latest revision as of 21:21, 30 January 2025
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Definition
Cognitive ergonomics examines how technologies can become natural extensions of human cognitive processes, with a particular focus on how environmental information can be presented in ways that work with our natural perceptual abilities. Rather than focusing on managing limitations, it studies how tools and interfaces achieve "pass-through" status - becoming transparent extensions of human intention and capability, similar to how eyeglasses disappear from conscious awareness during use.
Summary
The field represents a fundamental shift from traditional ergonomic approaches that viewed human cognition as limited. Instead, cognitive ergonomics recognizes that well-designed technologies become seamless extensions of our mental processes, following McLuhan's understanding of media as extensions of human senses and capabilities.
A critical aspect of this understanding is how our brains naturally process environmental information. For instance, a Hue light bulb that changes color based on weather forecasts works because color processing happens at a pre-conscious level in our visual system. We don't need to actively "read" the color to understand its meaning - our brain processes this information automatically, similar to how we process natural environmental cues like the color of the sky or the quality of daylight.
This approach to information display demonstrates how cognitive ergonomics should work with our existing perceptual and cognitive systems. The weather-indicating light bulb isn't creating a new cognitive load - it's plugging into our brain's existing ability to process environmental color information. This is fundamentally different from a weather app that requires us to consciously check and interpret numeric data.
The cognitive ergonomics of such ambient displays work because they match our natural cognitive patterns, becoming part of our extended perceptual system rather than demanding conscious attention. This aligns with McLuhan's understanding of media as extensions of our senses - the light bulb becomes an extension of our natural environmental awareness, just as eyeglasses extend our visual capabilities without requiring conscious thought.
This understanding transforms cognitive ergonomics from a field focused on managing limitations into one that creates seamless extensions of human cognitive capabilities. When done right, these technologies become part of our cognitive apparatus rather than remaining external tools requiring conscious attention - they are looked through rather than at, extending our capabilities without demanding our awareness.
Related Fields
Further Reading
- McLuhan, Marshall. "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man" (1964)
- Freud, Sigmund. "Civilization and Its Discontents" (1930)
- Weiser, Mark and Brown, John Seely. "The Coming Age of Calm Technology" (1996)
- Norman, Donald. "The Psychology of Everyday Things" (1988)
