
Cognition and Tool Use
Forms of Engagement in Human and Animal Use of Tools
Christopher Baber(Author)
CRC Press
1st Edition
Published on 24. July 2003
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-0-415-27728-0 (ISBN)
Description
The ability to use tools is a distinguishing feature of human beings. It represents a complex psychomotor activity that we are only now beginning to comprehend. Robust new theoretical accounts allow us to better understand how people use tools and explain differences in human and animal tool use from the perspective of cognitive science.
Our understanding needs to be grounded upon research into how people use tools, which draws upon many disciplines, from ergonomics to anthropology to cognitive science to neuropsychology. Cognition and Tool Use: Forms of Engagement in Human and Animal Use of Tools presents a single coherent account of human tool use as a complex psychomotor activity. It explains how people use tools and how this activity can succeed or fail, then describes the design and development of usable tools. This book considers contemporary tool use in domains such as surgery, and considers future developments in human-computer interfaces, such as haptic virtual reality and tangible user interfaces.
No other single text brings together the research from the different disciplines, ranging from archaeology and anthropology to psychology and ergonomics, which contribute to this topic. Graduate students, professionals, and researchers will find this guide to be invaluable.
Our understanding needs to be grounded upon research into how people use tools, which draws upon many disciplines, from ergonomics to anthropology to cognitive science to neuropsychology. Cognition and Tool Use: Forms of Engagement in Human and Animal Use of Tools presents a single coherent account of human tool use as a complex psychomotor activity. It explains how people use tools and how this activity can succeed or fail, then describes the design and development of usable tools. This book considers contemporary tool use in domains such as surgery, and considers future developments in human-computer interfaces, such as haptic virtual reality and tangible user interfaces.
No other single text brings together the research from the different disciplines, ranging from archaeology and anthropology to psychology and ergonomics, which contribute to this topic. Graduate students, professionals, and researchers will find this guide to be invaluable.
Reviews / Votes
"Whilst sets of guidelines for design of handles etc. are readily available within the ergonomics literature, Baber summarizes much of this material succinctly and usefully within the book. ... In sum, this is a useful, interesting, and entertaining read that draws upon a wide literature to embed an analysis of an ancient ... human activity within a theoretical framework. ... [I]t is a refreshing to review a book that has such wide appeal and relevance. It is easy to imagine the book being useful to development psychologists, archaeologists, or ethologists almost as much as to ergonomists. "- Ergonomics, Vol. 48, No. 4, March 2005
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Professional
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
510 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-415-27728-0 (9780415277280)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
09/2020
1st Edition
CRC Press
€95.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Baber\, Christopher
Content
Introduction. How Animals Use Tools. Tool Use by Primates and Young Children. The Making of Tools. Working with Tools. The Design of Tools. The Semantics of Tools. How Tool Use Breaks Down. Cognitive Artifacts. Tools in the Twenty-First Century. Towards a Theory of Tool Use. Conclusions.