Does anyone else remember the phrase "hot cognition?"
Peg G.
LCHC and UCSD Communication
(858) 822-4314
-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of Jennifer Vadeboncoeur
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 9:48 AM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] Re: something magical
We experience "flow" and "the magical" and "the rush" sometimes, and
we experience "frustration" and "anger" and "exhaustion" and
"failure." We frequently attend to whether or not someone "gets"
something cognitively, but emotional states, don't like the word
states so much, let's say emotions are "always already there." Again,
I think / feel that, since they just haven't been as "important" as
the "getting it," we haven't been attending. Even when we say, the
rush that accompanies successful learning, it seems like an "add-on."
Somehow we have to build cognitive/emotional space within "successful
learning" that allows for individual ownership and mastery of jointly
constructed activities and tasks to be about both thinking and
feeling simultaneously. Mike alluded to identity work, and this may
be one way to bring cognition/emotion together, to consider learning,
development, knowledge construction as constituted by and
constituents of identity work. Hmmmm ... cognition and emotion as
dialectically related, rather than binaries, knowledge and identity
as dialectically related, as well. Thinking this way is generally
easier than speaking this way. :) For me at least. Best - jen
>You're right. I was just thinking about how impossible separating emotion
>from any form cognition is - but how else do we qualify that 'magical
>something' the rush that everyone agrees accompanies successful learning?
>
>On 6/14/06, Jennifer Vadeboncoeur <vadebonc@interchange.ubc.ca> wrote:
>>
>>Just reading through these, so I may have missed something, but
>>wasn't "emotion" there all along? Why has emotion been separated out?
>>It seems we are assuming we can talk about thought without
>>considering emotion, and while we've practiced doing that, I imagine
>>it to be an unfortunate necessity given our language, rather than
>>something "real." Hmmmm ... again, I may have missed something.
>>
>>Best to all - jen
>>
>>
>>
>>>Surely it didn't all happen in the final play episode - his understanding
>>>had to be building through the earlier description/abandonment moments -
>>>Vivian's enactment may have crystallized Franklin's thoughts - but a lot
>>of
>>>groundwork had been done beforehand. when did emotion enter in - become
>>>instrumental in the learning? was it building as well during the
>>unpleasant
>>>episodes with his classmates? or was it merely in the eureka rush?
>>>
>>>On 6/14/06, Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>For goodness sake lets agree that we are not talking about the
>>>>biochemistry
>>>>of
>>>>emotion, but of emotion as a bio-social-cogntive aspect of human
>>>>functioning
>>>>that
>>>>is integral to human functioning in the world!
>>>>
>>>>The self-recognition/identity process in the case of Franklin seems key
>> >>to
>> >>me
>> >>as well. Why couldn't he construct that
>>self-knowledge-memory-recognition
>> >>from
>> >>an other's description and several others' abandonment of him a few
>> >>moments
>> >>earlier
>> >>but could when drawn into the play? That seems to me a crucial
question.
>>>>mike
>>>>
>>>>On 6/14/06, deborah downing-wilson <ddowningw@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I agree. like most of us just starting out I've been struggling
with
>>>>the
>>>>> emotional element - trying to come at it from as many angles as
>>possible
>>>>-
>>>>> I
>>>>> like Plotkin's speculation that the emotional intensity of the
>>>>> parent-child
>>>>> relationship suggests emotion has a place in the deliberate passing
>>of
>>>>> information to the next generation - it seems fitting that it has a
>>>>> special
>>>>> place in all learning. We certainly do a lot of whooping and
>>cheering
>>>>> when
>>>>> our babies/children learn somehting new. Damasio's work is also
>>>>> interesting
>>>>> - like others he argues that emotions are socially constructed - but
>>>>turns
>>>>> the idea around. Instead of being expressions of inner feelings,
the
>>>>> learned social response (smile) engenders inner subjective feelings
>>>>> (joy). can
>>>>> we capture and explore these events within the zoped? can we create
>> >>> contexts that encourage emotional envolvement? Paley seemed to do
it
>>>>with
>>>>> Franklin - but she and Franklin had a long history together - built
>>>>trust.
>>>>> so many questions. no time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Deb
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 6/14/06, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I can't explain Deborah. This is just something I've heard about
in
>>>>the
>>>>> > media. I hesitate to say any more and only further display my
>>>>ignorance.
>>>>> I
>>>>> >
>>>>> > only know that when you learn something and you get a big
emotional
>>>>hit
>>>>> at
>>>>> > the same time, positive or negative, you're not going to forget
it.
>>>>> > Learning is not a totally 'platonic' process is it - *something*
>>>>changes
>>>>> > in
>>>>> > our body when we acquire habits.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Andy
>>>>> >
>>>>> > At 09:26 PM 13/06/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>>>>> > >biochemical affect? please explain.
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > >On 6/13/06, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net > wrote:
>>>>> > >>
>>>>> > >>Well I think it would be superficial to stop at emotion (though
>>at a
>>>>> > very
>>>>> > >>basic level the experience of emotion is intuitively accessible
>>and
>>>>> > >>telling). I think emotions only make sense if we have a handle
on
>>>>> > identity
>>>>> > >>and however we understand what it is that it means to "do"
>>>>something,
>>>>> to
>>>>> > >>be
>>>>> > >>an actor in the world. If we leave emotion at the level of
>>>>biochemical
>>>>> > >>affect we surely have no real way of connecting it with
learning.
>>>>Why
>>>>> > was
>>>>> > >>Franklin delighted when he saw that he was the star in this
>>little
>>>>> play?
>>>>> > >>How did he recognise that it was himself?
>>>>> > >>Andy
>>>>> > >>At 07:37 AM 13/06/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>>>>> > >> >My guess is that it is recriprocal emotionality, Andy. A
>>>>particular
>>>>> > kind
>>>>> > >> >of difference that makes a difference.
>>>>> > >> >What were people feeling when everyone turned to Franklin as
>>they
>>>>> > >> >recognized Vivian "being" Franklin? What
>>>>> > >> >did they feel when he slapped his knee and said. "You got it
>>just
>>>>> > >> >right"? And what did he feel? Certainly not bad,
>>>>> > >> >judging from the evidence.
>>>>> > >> >
>>>>> > >> >And what was THE cause of this convergence of positive affect?
>>Its
>>>>> in
>>>>> > the
>>>>> > >> >intricacies of the answer to that question
>>>>> > >> >that we need a Zo to help us understand.
>>>>> > >> >mike
>>>>> > >> >
>>>>> > >> >On 6/12/06, Andy Blunden <<mailto: ablunden@mira.net>
>>>>> ablunden@mira.net
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > >>wrote:
>>>>> > >> >>Mike Cole said:
>>>>> > >> >> >[snip]
>>>>> > >> >> >This "something magical" certainly is very important in our
>>>>> > >>afterschool
>>>>> > >> >> >work. It includes not only the experience and good will of
>>>>those
>>>>> > >>involved,
>>>>> > >> >> >but also strong emotional bonds that grow between
>>undergrads,
>>>>> kids
>>>>> > and
>>>>> > >> >> >staff. -- almost a kind of emotional flow.
>>>>> > >> >>
>>>>> > >> >>Mike, this "something magical" seems to be the emotional hit
>>that
>>>>> > both
>>>>> > >> >>learner and teacher get when the learner makes a breakthrough
>>in
>>>>> > >>learning
>>>>> > >> >>and development, doesn't it? I remember hearing stuff in the
>>>>media
>>>>> > which
>>>>> > >> >>went to the neurological basis of how emotions reinforce
>>>>learning,
>>>>> > and I
>>>>> > >> >>understand it is a regular part of sports coaching nowadays
to
>>>>> > >>deliberately
>>>>> > >> >>manipulate the emotional experiences of performers when they
>>do a
>>>>> > thing
>>>>> > >> >>right or do it wrong supposedly to bring about neurological
>>>>changes
>>>>> > >>which
>>>>> > >> >>will attract or repel repetitions of the action.
>>>>> > >> >>
>>>>> > >> >>It always seemed to me that in our theory of the use of
>>artefacts
>>>>> > this
>>>>> > >> >>emotional loading tends to be overlooked, and yet that is
>>surely
>>>>> > exactly
>>>>> > >> >>what is magical?
>>>>> > >> >>
>>>>> > >> >>
>>>>> > >> >>Andy
>>>>> > >> >>
>>>>> > >>
>>>>> > >>Andy Blunden, for Victorian Peace Network, phone +61 3 9380 9435
>>>>> > >>Global Justice Tours: http://ethicalpolitics.org
>>>>> > >>
>>>>> > >>_______________________________________________
>> >>> > >>xmca mailing list
>>>>> > >>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>> > >>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > >
>>>>> > >--
>>>>> > >Deborah Downing-Wilson
>>>>> > >_______________________________________________
>>>>> > >xmca mailing list
>>>>> > >xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>> > >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Andy Blunden, for Victorian Peace Network, phone +61 3 9380 9435
>>>>> > Global Justice Tours: http://ethicalpolitics.org
>>>>> >
>>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>>> > xmca mailing list
>>>>> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>> >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Deborah Downing-Wilson
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> xmca mailing list
>>>>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>xmca mailing list
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>Deborah Downing-Wilson
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>xmca mailing list
>>>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>
>>
>>--
>>______________________________
>>
>>Dr. Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur
>>The University of British Columbia
>>Faculty of Education
>>2125 Main Mall
>>Library Block 272B
>>Vancouver BC V6T-1Z4
>>
>>phone: 1.604.822.9099
>>fax: 1.604.822.3302
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>xmca mailing list
>>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>
>
>
>
>--
>Deborah Downing-Wilson
>_______________________________________________
>xmca mailing list
>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
-- ______________________________Dr. Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur The University of British Columbia Faculty of Education 2125 Main Mall Library Block 272B Vancouver BC V6T-1Z4
phone: 1.604.822.9099 fax: 1.604.822.3302
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