My research on Tangible User Interface is based on a theoretical model called "Situated Cognition". In a nutshell, it means that human cognition (perception, thinking, feeling, imagining, etc), isn't something only intellectual and inside our heads, but a process that occurs in a physical and cultural environment.
.jpg) |
| Cognition as a mental process inside our heads? Forget it if you want to do or study Tangible Interactions! |
The classical cognitivist paradigm (1960) says something different: "It is all in the brain/mind". Therefore, it is more important to study the brain, or metal processes, and that is all.
The Embodied Cognition (1970) says: "Almost everything is in the body, and not only in the brain". So, the body as a whole is the issue. In this approach emotions and motor skills came together with all the intellectual and logical processes.
The Distribued Cognition (1980-90) says: "Its all in the environment". So, its more importan to study the context, specially cultural artefactcs like language.
How to summarize the Situated Cognition? I think this is a good try: "Cognition is action. Someone does something using the whole body in a physical and social context. Study these actions and the situation in which they occur".
Situated Cognition doesn't only incorporates past approaches. There is more. It is about understand contingences of reinforcement in which the person is inserted, without compartmentalizations and reductionisms.
I believe that Situated Cognition is the best theoretical and methodological approach not only to understand and analyse, but even to design tangible interfaces. I think so because in tangible interactions you need to focus on the user as a living being in a complex reality. Tangible interaction is much more complex to do than graphical user interface.
Some references for you:
and this nice video
