Chapter 4Introduction to Cognitive

Science

Cognitive Science• Interdisciplinary field that studies the mind, intelligence, and

behavior from an information processing perspective• Provides the scaffolding for the analysis and modeling of

complicated, multifaceted human performance and therefore has a tremendous effect on the issues impacting informatics. The end user is the focus since we are concerned with enhancing the performance in the workplace; in nursing, the end user could be the actual clinician in the clinical setting, and cognitive science can enhance the integration and implementation of the technologies being designed to facilitate this knowledge worker with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.

Connectionism

• Component of cognitive science that uses computer modeling through artificial neural networks to try to explain human intellectual abilities.

Neural networks

• Interconnected simple processing devices or simplified models of the brain and nervous system that consist of a considerable number of elements or units (analogs of neurons) linked together in a pattern of connections (analogs of synapses).

• One that would model the entire nervous system would have three types of units:– Input units (analogs of sensory neurons) receive information to be

processed– Hidden units (analogs to all of the other neurons - not sensory or

motor) work in between input and output units– Output units (analogs of motor neurons) where the outcomes or

results of the processing are found

Epistemology

• Study of the nature and origin of knowledge—what it means to know

The whole point in collecting and building data, information, and knowledge is to be able to make informed, judicious, prudent, and intelligent decisions.

The decision-making process evolves around knowledge and wisdom

Knowledge• The awareness and understanding of a

set of information and ways that information can be made useful to support a specific task or arrive at a decision; it abounds with others’ thoughts and information or is information that is synthesized so that relationships are identified and formalized.

Wisdom• Knowledge applied in a practical way or translated into actions;

to use knowledge and experience to heighten common sense and insight to exercise sound judgment in practical matters; sometimes thought of as the highest form of common sense resulting from accumulated knowledge or erudition (deep, thorough learning) or enlightenment (education that results in understanding and the dissemination of knowledge); it is the ability to apply valuable and viable knowledge, experience, understanding and insight while being prudent and sensible; is focused on our own minds; the synthesis of our experience, insight, understanding, and knowledge; the appropriate use of knowledge to solve human problems. It is knowing when and how to apply knowledge.

Cognitive Informatics (CI)

• Wang (2003) describes cognitive informatics (CI) as an emerging transdisciplinary field of study that attempts to bridge the gap of understanding how information is processed in the mind and in the computer. Computing and informatics theories can be applied to help understand the information processing of the brain, and cognitive and neurological sciences can likewise be applied to build better and more efficient computer processing systems.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• The field that deals with the conception, development, and implementation of informatics tools based on intelligent technologies. This field attempts to capture the complex processes of human thought and intelligence.

Summary

• Nurses must use their wisdom and make informed, judicious, prudent, and intelligent decisions while enacting care

• Cognitive science, cognitive informatics, and artificial intelligence will continue to evolve to help us build knowledge and wisdom.