The Distributed Cognitive Components of C2

Abstract

Distributed cognition (Hutchins, 1995a) is a theoretical framework that explains cognitive activities embodied and situated within the work setting and the artifacts used in the environment. Distributed cognition emphasizes the distributed nature of cognitive phenomena across individuals, tools/technologies, and internal/external representations. The unit of analysis goes beyond the cognitions of a single individual and focuses on the functional system as a whole. Distributed cognition examines the relation between individuals, the task environment, and artifacts used for task completion. Among some of the distributed cognitive attributes are: 1) Coordination across agents; 2) situation assessment; 3) mental models; 4) memory demands; 5) adaptability; and 6) workload management. Command & Control (C2) systems can greatly benefit when examined and analyzed as a distributed cognitive system through its emphasis on these cognitive attributes of the system. The theoretical and analytical implications of applying this approach to C2 systems will be discussed based on recent application and analysis to a series of C2 experiments.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA486894

Entities

People

  • Jeffrey T. Hansberger

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artifacts
  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Science
  • Cognitive Systems Engineering
  • Cognitive Workload
  • Command And Control
  • Environment
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personal Digital Assistants
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Workload

Readers

  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.