Augmented group cognition

An extension of research into intelligence amplification and augmented cognition in individuals, augmented group cognition allows for knowledge to be created, consumed, and exchanged among group members in alignment with their current workload, stress levels, emotional state, and other cognitive factors. Specifically, in 2005, the average knowledge worker lost 2.1 hours a day to interruptions associated with multitasking, resulting in a loss of $588 billion USD a year. Augmented group cognition seeks to overcome these distractions and information pollution, to that organizations can place a priority on conserving group focus and attentiveness on priority tasks.

Significant research is being done by DARPA within the field of augmented cognition, focused (presently) on individuals interacting in group settings. The next natural step involves incorporating elements of cybernetics to allow harmonization of group interactions for maximum productiveness, akin to earlier knowledge management efforts in organizations. Another natural inclusion involves augmented reality, where elements of computer-produced virtual reality coexist alongside interactions in the real-world.

There is not enough research from enough different methods to make the claim that productivity is "lost" without understanding several things: 1. the value of the purported interruption. It is not necessarily a negative value, on several dimensions as named. 2. the nature of multi-tasking skill especially as it relates to the types of tasks being done. One way to assess this is by understanding more about "flow states" (Cziktsentmihalyi)-some flow states can occur during multi-tasking. Reeves has also done limbic system activity and heart rates during online gaming, which are by nature highly interrupt-driven and require alertness to multi-tasking; 3. the nature of responsibilities people have--if they have many, they may need to micro-schedule them, often in response to an interruption.

References

• http://www-tadmus.spawar.navy.mil/viewdocsaugcog.html
• http://www.fc.bus.emory.edu/~dbray/2019.html
• Simon, Herbert A. The Sciences of the Artificial. (1969)
• Simon, Herbert A. Models of Thought. (1979)
• Information Pollution, Knowledge Overload, Limited Attention Spans, and Our Responsibilities as Professionals
• Group cognition provides a different approach to thinking about cognition at the group unit of analysis -- related to Computer Supported Collaborative Learning