Does Cognition Include Emotion? – Yes!
Sunday, March 29th, 2009One question I am often asked is, does your approach to cognitive design also include emotion? My answer is empathetically yes! I believe the classic distinction between cognition (i.e. intellectual or rational) and affective (i.e. emotional or irrational) has been shattered.
This is key point for cognitive designers. If we aspire to design for how minds actually work, we must understand the basic interplay between intellectual and emotional processes. Assuming they are separate and distinct, when in fact they are not leads to bad designs.
There is a lot of recent evidence that supports rejecting the long-standing distinction between cognition and affect. For a great overview check out the article (on the Dana Foundation website), Discovering that Rational Economic Man Has a Heart. While you are there, also check out Cerebrum 2009: Emerging Ideas in Brain Science. All the chapters are free online and several promise some useful insights for cognitive designers.
