Wide cognition and social intelligence

The theme of the workshop is the significance of wide cognition – which is embodied, enacted, extended, embodied, and distributed cognition – for social intelligence.

Wide cognition has, over the last couple of decades, become more and more widespread in all areas of cognitive science – from neuroscience to cognitive psychology to cognitive linguistics to philosophy to computer science and robotics. Unlike traditional frameworks for cognitive science, these approaches do not explain cognitive phenomena solely in terms of the manipulation of (language-like) internal representations but stress that (1) minds can extend into the environment; (2) agents are cognitive insofar as they are embodied; (3) their cognitive scaffolding is enacted, or constructed, in an active fashion; (4) cognitive phenomena are always interactions with the environment; (5) and cognitive acts are often paradigmatically distributed among multiple agents. The workshop’s aim is to explore the relevance of this body of research for understanding social intelligence. In particular, its reliance on environmental design, bodily interaction, shared cognitive and symbolic tools, and complex schemas of collaboration.

The workshop will also feature discussion of a white paper of the topic that is being prepared in collaboration with the SINTELNET coordination network (sintelnet.eu).

Registration and accommodation

Early registration ends June 30th. The early registration fee is 150 Euro (reduced rate – 75 Euro), while the late registration fee is 200 Euro. Fees cover the workshop sessions, conference materials, lunches, coffee breaks and the minibus to and from Warsaw airport.

Accommodation is available at the conference hotel. The cost is 100 Euro in total for four nights (August 19th to 23rd) in shared twin en suite rooms and includes breakfasts (limited single rooms available at higher price). Availability of accommodation cannot be guaranteed for late registrants.

Registration and accommodation fees might change in the event of significant movement in the exchange rate of the Polish currency.