REPRESENTATIONS IN DISTRIBUTED COGNITIVE TASKS

In this article we propose a theoretical framework of distributed repr esentations and a methodology of representational analysis for the stu dy of distributed cognitive tasks-tasks that require the processing of information distributed across the internal mind and the external env ironment. The basic principle of distributed representations is that t he representational system of a distributed cognitive task is a set of internal and external representations, which together represent the a bstract structure of the task. The basic strategy of representational analysis is to decompose the representation of a hierarchical task int o its component levels so that the representational properties at each level can be independently examined. The theoretical framework and th e methodology are used to analyze the hierarchical structure of the To wer of Hanoi problem. Based on this analysis, four experiments are des igned to examine the representational properties of the Tower of Hanoi . Finally, the nature of external representations is discussed.