| dc.description.abstract | We present an empirically supported theoretical and methodological framework for quantifying the
system-level properties of person-plus-tool interactions in order to answer the question: “Are personplus-tool-systems extended cognitive systems?” Nineteen participants provided perceptual judgments
regarding their ability to pass through apertures of various widths while using visual information, blindfolded wielding a rod, or blindfolded wielding an Enactive Torch—a vibrotactile sensory-substitution
device for detecting distance. Monofractal, multifractal, and recurrence quantification analyses were
conducted to assess features of person-plus-tool movement dynamics. Trials where people utilized the
rod or Enactive Torch demonstrated stable “self-similarity,” or indices of healthy and adaptive single
systems, regardless of aperture width, trial order, features of the participants’ judgments, and participant characteristics. Enactive Torch trials exhibited a somewhat greater range of dynamic fluctuations
than the rod trials, as well as less movement recurrence, suggesting that the Enactive Torch allowed for
more exploratory movements. Findings provide support for the notion that person-plus-tool systems
can be classified as extended cognitive systems and a framework for quantifying system-level properties of these systems. Implications concerning future research on extended cognition are discussed. | es |
