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Mediated Cognition

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HCI Redux

Part of the book series: Human–Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

Activity Theory is an excellent candidate for a theory of human-computer interaction (HCI) and has been proposed as such by a number of people. This chapter covers familiar ground in describing the origins and development of Activity Theory with respect to HCI but, for the purposes of the book as a whole, focuses on the role of mediation. From this perspective, we can see Activity Theory as a treatment of mediated cognition. In addition to a discussion of the key distinguishing features of Activity Theory we also make mention of functional organs and significances. By functional organs we typically mean those technologies such as reading glasses (spectacles) which extend our existing senses but can also refer back to the inner plane of action where we can rehearse or make-believe (see Chap. 8) behaviour without committing to it. Significances are Activity Theory style affordances which are located in shared social spaces – like memes. Overall, this chapter places activity theory in the wider discussion of the role of cognition in HCI.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In this instance, the contribution of a little “know that” to our “know how”. We pick up on the epistemic in more detail in Chap. 7.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computing, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

    Phil Turner

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  1. Phil Turner
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Turner, P. (2016). Mediated Cognition. In: HCI Redux. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42235-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42235-0_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-42233-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-42235-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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