The Temporality of Situated Cognition

Abstract

Situated cognition embeds perceptions, thoughts, and behavior within the contextual framework of so-called “4E cognition” understanding cognition to be embodied, enactive, extended, and embedded. Whereas this definition is primarily based on the spatial properties of a situation, it neglects a fundamental constituent: the cognitive situation as enduring . On a subpersonal level, situated cognition requires the integration of information processing within a minimal temporal extension generating the basic building blocks of perception and action (“microlayer” of time). On a personal level, lived situations and experienced narratives leading to our biography can be defined by their broader temporal horizons (“macrolayer” of time). The macrolayer of time is based on and emerges from information processing on the microlayer of time. Whereas the constraints on the microlayer are primarily defined by the integrity of neurobiological processes within an individual cognitive system, the temporal horizons and subsequently the situational context on the macrolayer are defined by the complex affordances of a situation on a personal or interpersonal level. On both time layers, cognition can be defined as a continuous dynamic process, reflecting the transition from one situated state to another. Taken together, the events forming the delimiting horizons of these situations correspond to the temporal structure of the cognitive process along which it continuously proceeds. The dynamic driving and enabling this transition from state to state is synonymous with the inherent flow of time. Just as the layers of time, flow and structure, are inseparably connected. The integration of temporal flow and temporal structure into the continuous dynamic process constitutes the enduring situatedness of cognition. By providing everyday examples and examples from psychopathology, we highlight the benefits of understanding cognitive processes as part of enduring situations.

Real Workload-Situated Training in COVID-19 Prevention of General Practice Residents in China: A Situated Cognition Study

“…“legal peripheral participation” means learners should enter the scene, start at the edges, and continue to advance gradually and more deeply to master the core essentials and exert their subjective initiative in practice ( 7 , 14 ). The acquisition of practical skills by students is a gradual process that does not occur overnight and requires the joint effort and participation of teachers and students.…”

“…Simulation-based learning is a dynamic process that can be used to build a community of practice where learners can observe Abbreviations: GP, general practice; REST program, real epidemic situated training. and participate in meaningful realistic encounters to build their skills and understanding (7)(8)(9). Moreover, they can gain insights and feedforward, which is described as the opportunity to envision future activities after mastering certain skills and behaviors (5,10).…”

A missing link: a distributed cognitive perspective on fit

“…The first is time. It is apparent that products from previous events could alter the essence of subsequent events (Hollan et al, 2000;Vogel et al, 2020), and as a result, Cowley and Vall ee-Tourangeau (2013) claim that such cognitive processes tend to be distributed across time. In relation to this, some argue that on the one hand in certain contexts the recurrence of certain activities is irregular due to the continuously evolving nature of the IJOTB 24,3 problem space (Perry, 2013).…”

“…In essence, change in an organisational context exemplifies moving from one situation to another (Vogel et al, 2020); hence each situation may yield a different set of situational characteristics (Perry et al, 2003). Thus, it is evident that this transversal movement across situations divides through spatial resources (i.e.…”

Real Workload-Situated Training in COVID-19 Prevention of General Practice Residents in China: A Situated Cognition Study

“…[6] Simulation-based learning is a dynamic process that can be used to build a community of practice where learners can observe and participate in meaningful realistic encounters to build their skills and understanding. [7][8][9] Moreover, they can gain insights and feedforward, which is described as the opportunity to envision future activities after mastering certain skills and behaviors. [5,10] The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic conduct a real situation for the GP resident to participate in the public health task .…”