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Relevance versus generalization in cognitive engineering

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe how research at the intersection of cognition, technology, and work can be generalized beyond the source context of scientific inquiry and confirmation. Special emphasis is given to resolve confusion about the use of terms such as “ecological validity” and the “real world.” The ultimate goal is to foster a more productive dialog on the merits of where and how research on important cognitive engineering topics, such as cognitive adaptation to change and uncertainty, should be conducted.

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Notes

  1. The situation in agricultural research can of course be more sophisticated than I have portrayed, in that researchers may sample environments (e.g., soil properties) to disentangle main (e.g., fertilizer) and interaction (fertilizer X soil) effects, to identify those environments in which a particular fertilizer will be useful. However, it remains the case the manner in which research findings are ultimately applied is physical rather than statistical-inferential, just as in much medical research where physical generalization is typical (by patients’ use of pharmaceuticals).

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to John Flach for his comments on a previous version of this article.

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Kirlik, A. Relevance versus generalization in cognitive engineering. Cogn Tech Work 14, 213–220 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-011-0204-5

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