Transcript Document

PS30017
Controversies in Cognition
ALZHEIMER’S
Memory aids from a distributed
cognition perspective
By
Olly Swanton
Laura Misselbrook
Susannah Redhead
Peter Gomez-Luque
Presentation Outline
Two case studies reflecting both sides of the
controversy.
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Dementia - Definition, Cause, Features
Case Study 1 - Guide Me Project
Controversy
Distributed Cognition
Memory aids
Case Study 2 - Gloucester Smart House
Conclusion and Discussion
Dementia: the Facts.
 Definition
Briggs (1989)
 Occurrence
Hagnell et al (1981)
 Cause
 Features
‘Guide Me’ Project
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With the advancements of technology, its
potential can be utilized in order to bring benefit
to the lives of those suffering with Alzheimer’s.
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Guide Me Project – undertaken by Dept. of
Industrial Design, University of Eindhoven.
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Integrates GPS & GSM technologies
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Locator and communication product for
Alzheimer’s patients.
Aim
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In the early stages of the disease, patients will
suffer from temporary memory loss, also known
as ‘blackouts’.
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These can occur at any time and often cause the
patient to lose track of their own whereabouts.
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Becomes a worry for caregivers of the patient.
Concept
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Non-intrusive channel
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Patient can go about his/her daily life without
constant supervision from caregiver.
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Prolong the period of care that can be
administered by the caregiver
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Delaying the admission into an Alzheimer's
institute.
Guide Me Research
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Interviews conducted
 Socially active people
whom want to
maintain their current
lifestyles.
 Maintain Self
preservation
 Accept that there are
social limitations
Scenarios
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Scenario 1: due to a blackout.
 location of patient on
map, with respect to
where he/she is
heading to.
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Scenario 2:
 Emergency signal on
the device.
 Provide reassurance
to the caregiver and
patient, in any case of
emergency, that there
is help at hand.
Conclusions of Guide Me
Project
 Harness
GSM and GPS technologies
 Simple device
 Living situation for the partner and patient
more bearable
 Alleviating stress
 Ultimately, prolonging the time that a
patient can stay at home
Controversy!
 A paradox
- to become more independent,
and thus assure better quality of life,
cognition is distributed between both
caregivers and technology.
 Independence? Ethical concerns
emphasised.
Distributed Cognition
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Devised over last 12 years by Hutchins, Clark,
Minsky, Lakoff.
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Reconceptualises what is considered cognitive.
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Hutchins (1995) – Cognitive ethnography on
board US Navy ships.
Three Central Tenets
Caroll (2002), Hutchins (1995)
 Socially distributed – social organisation
itself is a form of cognitive architecture
 Embodied – Organisation of mind an
emergent property of interactions among
internal/ external resources
 Culturally embedded – Study of cognition
not separable from study of culture
Distributed Cognition cont.
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New theoretical foundation for HCI
Carmien 2003 - Increasing workplace
independence for people with cognitive
disabilities by leveraging distributed cognition
among caregivers and clients.
 Emphasises mediating tools and social
processes by which patients cognition is spread.
 Support groups (social configurations)
 MAPS (Memory Aid Prompting System)
Memory Aids
 A device
or strategy which can be used by
a patient suffering memory loss in order to
store information or to alert a user to an
event or an issue which might otherwise
be forgotten.
 Generic techniques such as paper and
pen techniques
 Advanced electronic devices.
Definition
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These combinations of external representations
and physical tools have greatly extended and
supported people’s ability to carry out cognitive
activities. (Norman, 1993)
Main goals which have cognitive benefits:
 1. Externalizing to reduce memory load
 2. Computational Offloading
 3.Annotating and cognitive tracing
External Memory Aids
Changes to your routine which help jog memory
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Diary
PDA’s (Personal
Digital Assistants)
Alarm Clocks/Timers
Pagers
Lists on Memo
Boards/Post it Notes
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Leaving physical
items as reminders
i.e. leave items you
need to take with you
by the front door.
Where’s my house?
 Gloucester
Smart-House
 Technology
for maintaining independence
 The
developmental stage
Technology in the House
 Bath
and Basin Monitor
 Night
Light
 Cooker
Monitor
‘Rula’
‘Enable Project’
 Evaluation
 Quality
 The
of the Gloucester House
of life
carers and the sufferers
Conclusion
Guide Me Project – cognition distributed
between caregivers and technology.
 Smart Houses – more genuine independence.
 However – from distributed cognition
perspective, others are implicated in cognition
regardless of whether cognitive deficit.
 Iterative design process – ethical concerns can
be taken into account.
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Conclusion cont.
 Distributed
cognition affords framework for
design and evaluation of digital artefacts.
Hutchins – Memory processes in airport
cockpit.
 However, does not address potential for
learning.
Carmien 2003
References
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Carmien, S., Gorman, A., DePaula, R., & Kintsch, A. (2004) Increasing
Workplace Independence for People with Cognitive Disabilities by
Leveraging Distributed Cognition among Caregivers and Clients. ACM
Portal, Vol. 13, Issue 5-6.
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Department of Health, (2004) Memory Aids and techniques, Online,
Available HTTP: www.mhra.gov.uk (Accessed May 2005)
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Hollan, J., Hutchins, E. & Kirsch, D. (2000) Distributed Cognition: Toward a
New Foundation for Human-Computer Interaction Research, ACM
Transcations on Computer-Human Interaction, Vol. 7. No. 2.
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Loh, J., Schietecat, T., Fai Kwok, T., & Lindeboom, L. (2004) Technology
Applied to Address Difficulties of Alzheimer Patients and Their Partners.
ACM Portal.
References 2
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Briggs, R. S. J. Alzheimer’s Disease: The clinical context in: Davies, D.C.
(Ed) (1989) Alzheimer’s Disease: Towards an understanding, John Libby &
Company Ltd: London.
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Carmien, S., Depaula, R., Gorman, A. and Kintsch, A. (2004) Increasing
workplace independence for people with cognitive disabilities by leveraging
distributed cognition among caregivers and clients. Computer Supported
Cooperative Work, 13, pp443-470.
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Loh, J., Schietecat, T., Kwok, T.F. and Lindeboom, L. (2004) Technology
applied to address difficulties of Alzheimer patients and their partners.
[online] ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, ACM Press: New
York.
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Giere, R.N. (1996) Models as parts of distributed cognitive systems. In:
Magnani, L. and Nersessian, M. (2000) Model Based Reasoning: Science,
Technology, Values. Kluwer University Press: New York.
References 3
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Clare, L., Roth, I., Wilson, B., Carter, G. and Hodges, J. (2002)
Relearning face-name associations in early Alzheimer’s Disease.
Neuropsychology, 2002, Vol 16, No.4, pp538-547.
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Adlam, T and Orpwood, R. (2002) The Gloucester Smart House, Online
Available www.dementiavoice.org.uk/projects/projects_gloucesterproject.htm (Accessed May
2005)
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Preece, J. (2002) Interaction Design
Wiley Press, U.K