Augmented Group Cognition
Encyclopedia
An extension of research into intelligence amplification
and augmented cognition
in individuals, augmented group cognition allows for knowledge
to be created, consumed, and exchanged among group members in alignment
with their current workload, stress levels, emotional state, and other cognitive factors. Specifically, in 2005, the average knowledge worker
lost 2.1 hours a day to interruptions associated with multitasking
, resulting in a loss of $588 billion USD a year. Augmented group cognition seeks to overcome these distractions and information pollution
, to that organizations can place a priority on conserving group focus and attentiveness on priority tasks.
Significant research is being done by DARPA within the field of augmented cognition, focused (presently) on individuals interacting in group settings. The next natural step involves incorporating elements of cybernetics
to allow harmonization of group interactions for maximum productiveness, akin to earlier knowledge management
efforts in organizations. Another natural inclusion involves augmented reality
, where elements of computer
-produced virtual reality
coexist alongside interactions in the real-world.
There is not enough research from enough different methods to make the claim that productivity is "lost" without understanding several things: 1. the value of the purported interruption. It is not necessarily a negative value, on several dimensions as named. 2. the nature of multi-tasking skill especially as it relates to the types of tasks being done. One way to assess this is by understanding more about "flow states" (Cziktsentmihalyi)-some flow states can occur during multi-tasking. Reeves has also done limbic system activity and heart rates during online gaming, which are by nature highly interrupt-driven and require alertness to multi-tasking; 3. the nature of responsibilities people have--if they have many, they may need to micro-schedule them, often in response to an interruption.
Intelligence amplification
Intelligence amplification refers to the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence...
and augmented cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
in individuals, augmented group cognition allows for knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
to be created, consumed, and exchanged among group members in alignment
Alignment
Alignment may refer to:* Alignment , secondary evidence used to associate features such as postholes* Alignment , in Israel from 1965 to 1992...
with their current workload, stress levels, emotional state, and other cognitive factors. Specifically, in 2005, the average knowledge worker
Knowledge worker
Knowledge workers in today's workforce are individuals who are valued for their ability to act and communicate with knowledge within a specific subject area. They will often advance the overall understanding of that subject through focused analysis, design and/or development. They use research...
lost 2.1 hours a day to interruptions associated with multitasking
Human multitasking
Human multitasking is the best performance by an individual of appearing to handle more than one task at the same time. The term is derived from computer multitasking. An example of multitasking is taking phone calls while typing an email...
, resulting in a loss of $588 billion USD a year. Augmented group cognition seeks to overcome these distractions and information pollution
Information pollution
Information pollution is the contamination of information supply with irrelevant, redundant, unsolicited and low-value information. The spread of useless and undesirable information can have a detrimental effect on human activities...
, to that organizations can place a priority on conserving group focus and attentiveness on priority tasks.
Significant research is being done by DARPA within the field of augmented cognition, focused (presently) on individuals interacting in group settings. The next natural step involves incorporating elements of cybernetics
Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
to allow harmonization of group interactions for maximum productiveness, akin to earlier knowledge management
Knowledge management
Knowledge management comprises a range of strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences...
efforts in organizations. Another natural inclusion involves augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
, where elements of computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
-produced virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
coexist alongside interactions in the real-world.
There is not enough research from enough different methods to make the claim that productivity is "lost" without understanding several things: 1. the value of the purported interruption. It is not necessarily a negative value, on several dimensions as named. 2. the nature of multi-tasking skill especially as it relates to the types of tasks being done. One way to assess this is by understanding more about "flow states" (Cziktsentmihalyi)-some flow states can occur during multi-tasking. Reeves has also done limbic system activity and heart rates during online gaming, which are by nature highly interrupt-driven and require alertness to multi-tasking; 3. the nature of responsibilities people have--if they have many, they may need to micro-schedule them, often in response to an interruption.