The Cognitive Perspective in Information Science Research Anthony Hughes

Kristina Spurgin

Cognition

“Illumynyd she is wyth clere cognycyoun In hyr soule” -Osbern Bokenham Seyntys, 1447 (L.154)

Cognition The understanding, acquisition, and processing of

knowledge, or, more loosely, thought processes.

Cognitive Science

Cognitive science Kinds of knowledge underlying cognition Details of cognitive processing Computational modeling of these processes

Computers + Psychology + Linguistics = Cognitive Science!

General Topic Areas in Cognitive Science

Perception Thinking Learning Knowledge

representation Language

Perception Stimuli simple perceptual objects Matching of simple perceptual objects to

stored representations of objects Visual processing and imagery

Applications in LIS:

Human Computer Interaction

Thinking Reasoning Problem solving Decision-making

Applications in LIS:

Information seeking Relevance judgments Information literacy training Think-aloud research methods

Learning Machine and human learning Psychology and representations of learning Memory

Encoding and retrieval

Applications in LIS:

Information retrieval User studies Bibliographic instruction and reference work

Knowledge Representation Methods by which information is stored in the

mind for later use Understanding, designing, and implementing

representations of information in computers

Applications in LIS:

Taxonomy Thesauri Classification schemes Ontologies

Language The relationship between language and cognition Rules of language and their processing

Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics Language acquisition and comprehension

Applications in LIS:

Natural Language Processing Latent semantic indexing Controlled vocabulary development Information extraction

Measures of Cognition - Quantitative Cognitive ability

Absolute judgments of stimuli Cognitive style

Embedded Figures Test (field dependence vs. field independence)

Cognitive Styles Analysis (holistic vs. analytical cognitive style)

Cognitive Style Index (intuitive vs. analytic cognitive style)

Measures of Cognition - Quantitative Cognitive space

Stimulus pairing Linguistic Spatial

Measures of Cognition - Qualitative Concept mapping Think-aloud or verbal protocol Card sorting Free-listing

Readings

Theory Research

Ingwersen Todd Kim & Allen

Cognitive & Information Science as it was applied in the readings:

Cognitive and Task Influences on Web Searching Behavior (Kim & Allen) Independent Variables (across both studies)

Cognitive style (field dependence vs. independence) Problem solving ability/style Search engine used Cognitive ability (perceptual speed, spatial scanning, logical reasoning Task

Dependent Variables (across both studies) Search performance/outcome (precision/recall) Search activities (mouseclicks, links followed etc…)

Findings (across both studies) Task had main interaction effect across studies Cognitive ability and problem solving style interacted with task effect to influence

search activity Questions:

Do you agree with the way cognitive science measures were applied in this study? If task if main determinent, how do we design systems that support breadth of

searchers and their tasks?

Back to our beginnings…(R. Todd) Information utilization

acting/doing thinking/acting/doing

Cognitive + Behavioral change Measurement

Instrumental + symbolic Conceptual: “…what is happening in people’s minds when they do something with information.”

Bertram Brookes K[S] + ∆I = K[S + ∆S]

Study Change in knowledge states regarding heroin

Initial knowledge map Exposure to information Successive mapping and exposure

Findings Complete picture / changed picture / clearer picture / verified picture / position in

picture Questions

Is this empirical research? Can we hope to measure cognitive change?

Cognitive Information Retrieval (Ingwersen, P.)

See Figure Questions

Where does cognitive science fit within this picture? What does it have to add?

Is the holistic cognitive view of IR a theory? Where does the role of affect or emotion fit within this

theory?

User Intermediary System

Individual view of IR cognition

Holistic view of IR cognition

Human Human or System

Communication through information processing

Cognitive Free Fall

ASKLabel-Effect

User’s cognitivespace

Problem /Situation

Socio-organizationenvironment

Task

User’s cognitivespace

IntermediaryCogntition

InterfaceFunctionality Algorithms

SystemStructure

s

Representations

Informationobjects

InformationNeed

Polyrepresentation

FeedbackQuery Expansion

Work Task

From: Wilson, T.D. (1999) Models of Information Behaviour Research. Journal of Documentation, vol.55(3) pg. 249-270

Model of Ingwersen’s IR process