Matt SlocombeJan 12, 2023

Something I have been thinking about recently: What is the difference between cognition and cognitive development?

Are they both describing change in a system – caused by the same processes – but at different scales of time and levels of organisation, or are they describing different phenomena and causal processes, or a bit of both?

Curious to hear what others think. Feel free to elaborate!

@cognition @cogsci @psychology #CognitiveDevelopment #PhilosophyOfScience #PhilosophyOfMind

Same phenomena, diff scales of time/organisation
20%
Different phenomena and processes
45%
A bit of both - depends on the cognitive capacity
35%
Poll ended at .
Show threadMike
@mattslocombe @cognition @cogsci @psychology I think the starting point is defining cognition. We use this term without ever defining. Pick up any current cognitive psychology textbook and you'll get definitions of the field and examples of the processes it studies. But what is cognition? What is this "thing" that underlies those processes? We can talk about language development, Piaget's stages of development, etc. but what underlies these processes? What exactly is developing?
Jan 12, 2023 at 10:16pmWeb
Show threadJon AwbreyJan 12, 2023

@mikefriedline @mattslocombe @cognition @cogsci @psychology

Q. What exactly is developing?

A. From a highly formal and #Semiotic point of view, what develops is a #SignRelation.

P.S. The basic idea is really as old as #Aristotle, with a few new twists by C.S. #Peirce, who taught #WilliamJames psychology could be an experimental science.

Some background —
• https://www.academia.edu/57812482/Interpretation_as_Action_The_Risk_of_Inquiry

#Semiotics #Semeiotics #SignRelations

Interpretation as Action • The Risk of Inquiry

We hope you will find these thoughts of ours both interesting and useful." These are words spoken to express an intention, a bearing in the mind of a person toward an object which is yet to be achieved. The readiest moment of human life involves

Show threadMatt SlocombeJan 13, 2023

@Inquiry @mikefriedline @cognition @cogsci @psychology

Interesting thanks! Will have a look at the paper : )

Show threadMatt SlocombeJan 13, 2023
@mikefriedline @cognition @cogsci @psychology Right! I agree. I've woken up this morning thinking the answer to the original question (and yours) may vary depending on whether processes are described with functional theories or mechanistic theories
Show threadMikeJan 13, 2023
@mattslocombe @cognition @cogsci @psychology Yes! And even then the explanations will be lacking. Cognition is a hypothetical construct that is typically defined by a cluster of processes that are also hypothetical constructs.
Show threadMatt SlocombeJan 14, 2023
@mikefriedline @cognition @cogsci @psychology Constructs constructed by cognition.. just to make things more confusing
Show threadMikeJan 14, 2023
@mattslocombe @cognition @cogsci @psychology ...derived from our personal experience, which biases how we conceptualize and operationalize these constructs