Edwin Hutchins
Encyclopedia
Edwin Hutchins is a professor and former department head of cognitive science
at the University of California, San Diego
. Hutchins is one of the main developers of distributed cognition
.
Hutchins was a student of the cognitive anthropologist
Roy D'Andrade
and has been a strong advocate of the use of anthropological methods in cognitive science
. He is considered the father of modern cognitive ethnography. His early work involved studies of logic in legal discourse among people of the Trobriand Islands
, Papua New Guinea
.
For a time he worked in the Navy doing research on how crews of ship can function as a distributed machine, offloading the cognitive burden of ship navigation onto each member of the crew. He was a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur "Genius Grant"
.
In 1995, Hutchins published Cognition in the Wild. CITW provides a detailed study of distributed cognitive processes in a navy ship (an Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship
), and as with other works related to distributed cognition, criticizes disembodied views of cognition and proposes an alternative which looks at cognitive systems that may be composed of multiple agents and the material world.
Other areas of his work include the study of airline cockpits, the development of cognitive ethnographic methods and tools, and human-computer interaction. He currently runs the Distributed Cognition and Human Computer Interaction Laboratory at UC San Diego, in collaboration with James Hollan
.
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
at the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
. Hutchins is one of the main developers of distributed cognition
Distributed cognition
Distributed cognition is a psychological theory developed in the mid 1980s by Edwin Hutchins. Using insights from sociology, cognitive science, and the psychology of Vygotsky it emphasizes the social aspects of cognition. It is a framework that involves the coordination between individuals,...
.
Hutchins was a student of the cognitive anthropologist
Cognitive anthropology
Cognitive anthropology is an approach within cultural anthropology in which scholars seek to explain patterns of shared knowledge, cultural innovation, and transmission over time and space using the methods and theories of the cognitive sciences often through close collaboration with historians,...
Roy D'Andrade
Roy D'Andrade
Roy Goodwin D'Andrade is one of the founders of the theory of cognitive anthropology.Born in New Jersey, D'Andrade matriculated at Rutgers University but left to fulfill his military service. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut. He then studied in the Department...
and has been a strong advocate of the use of anthropological methods in cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
. He is considered the father of modern cognitive ethnography. His early work involved studies of logic in legal discourse among people of the Trobriand Islands
Trobriand Islands
The Trobriand Islands are a 450 km² archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of New Guinea. They are situated in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
For a time he worked in the Navy doing research on how crews of ship can function as a distributed machine, offloading the cognitive burden of ship navigation onto each member of the crew. He was a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur "Genius Grant"
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Based in Chicago but supporting non-profit organizations that work in 60 countries, MacArthur has awarded more than US$4 billion since its inception in 1978...
.
In 1995, Hutchins published Cognition in the Wild. CITW provides a detailed study of distributed cognitive processes in a navy ship (an Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship
Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship
The Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy were the first amphibious assault ships designed and built as dedicated helicopter carriers, capable of operating up to 20 helicopters to carry up to 1,800 marines ashore. They were named for battles featuring the United States...
), and as with other works related to distributed cognition, criticizes disembodied views of cognition and proposes an alternative which looks at cognitive systems that may be composed of multiple agents and the material world.
Other areas of his work include the study of airline cockpits, the development of cognitive ethnographic methods and tools, and human-computer interaction. He currently runs the Distributed Cognition and Human Computer Interaction Laboratory at UC San Diego, in collaboration with James Hollan
James D. Hollan
James D. Hollan is Professor of Cognitive Science and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, San Diego. In collaboration with Professor Edwin Hutchins, he directs the Distributed Cognition and Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory at UCSD.His research explores the...
.