What is Epistemic Cognition?
Epistemic Cognition is the process of knowing and, in a more precise way, the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging.
A three-level model of cognitive processing is proposed to specify complex monitoring when we are faced with problems. At the first level, cognition, individuals compute, memorize, read, perceive, solve problems, etc. At the second, metacognitive level, individuals monitor their own progress when they are engaged in these first-order tasks. At the third level, epistemic cognition, individuals reflect on the limits of knowing, the certainty of knowing, and criteria of knowing. Epistemic assumptions influence how individuals seek into the nature of problems and make up their minds what kinds of strategies are suitable for solving them. Although cognitive and metacognitive processes appear to develop in childhood and are used throughout the life span, recent research shows that epistemic cognitive monitoring develops in the latest adolescent and adult years.
About what I have learnt in Lecture 3-4.
In the lecture 3, I have learnt that the cognition can be categorized to three different levels. Before that, I just know that people observe things and understand concepts in different levels. But I have not considered about what are the features of each level. During the lecture, In my opinion, the most important theory I have learnt is that epistemic level of cognition is the highest and it can create new knowledge by the interaction and discussion within social networks. In the following lectures, I also want to know something about how our critical thinking ability is linked with epistemic level and knowledge building.
In the lecture 4, Prof. Rosanna Chan had a very detailed introduction about social psychology and social cognitive theory, as well as collaboration on online social networks. In the end of the slides, 5 levels of responses to unfamiliar information are defined: sub-assimilation, direct assimilation, surface-constructive, implicit knowledge-building, explicit knowledge-building. But I think one more response may be added into these levels: rejection of knowledge building. E.g. I totally don't understand [the statement], or even I think it is wrong. This kind of response seems to be the most negative attitude to unfamiliar information.
By taking the lectures and surfing on the Internet, I got to know a very important feature of the human cognitive architecture, and probably an essential one able to function efficiently in a fast changing environment, is that beliefs and decisions need not to be the product of explicit reasoning. Assuming that I throw a ball to you and you may seize it with your hands. How did you do that? Would you measure the distances and velocities and compute arriving time? I'm afraid not. Instead, humans and some higher animals have a built-in cognitive module whose purpose is to rapidly produce predictions, so that we can rely upon these predictions to form consciousness what we are going to do next.
Further discussion about "knowledge building at epistemic cognition level"
Knowledge building is a social activity. It results in the creation or modification of public knowledge--knowledge that lives "in the world" and is available to be worked on and used by other people. A single person cannot be limited to building new knowledge. However, in a community or public environment where people can join together and discuss problems, certain improvements will be made to the existing understandings. For example, in Baidu Entry (http://baike.baidu.com/view/19060.htm), people can comment on the previous entries and even enhance the existing information using the most updated one. In this way our system of knowledge is improving day by day.
