ABSTRACT

This edited collection provides a comprehensive and empirically informed discussion on affordances and their role in studying goal-directed behavior, covering philosophical, experimental psychological, neuroscientific, and applied perspectives.

Showcasing the work of expert contributors from different backgrounds, the book inspires new directions for future research in affordances. Chapters address questions relating to the definition and perception of affordances, their advantages over stimuli, the relationship between affordances and behavior, and how systems engage with affordances in different tasks and intentions. This question-based format provides a distinctive perspective that allows for a thorough exploration of the expansive field of affordance research.

This book serves as a crucial resource for seasoned scientists, researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of ecological psychology, sensation and perception, cognition, and the philosophy of cognitive science, as well as non-academic individuals interested in mind sciences broadly construed. It provides valuable insights and knowledge in these fields, making it an essential reference for those seeking to deepen their understanding in the areas of perception and cognition.

chapter |8 pages

50 Years On

What Does Affordance Afford Us?

part II|77 pages

The Role of Exploratory Activity and Scale in Perception of Affordances

chapter 10|20 pages

Scaling Up

Lawfulness of Affordances Requires Independence From Any Single “Scale of Behavior”

part III|71 pages

Affordances Through the Lens of Neuroscience

chapter 13|17 pages

Affordance And Tool Use

A Neurocognitive Approach

chapter 14|19 pages

From Turing to Gibson

Implications of Affordances for the Sciences of Organisms

part IV|107 pages

Applications of the Ecological Theory of Affordances

chapter 15|20 pages

Understanding Skilled Adaptive Behavior

The Role of Action, Perception, and Cognition in an Ecological Dynamics Perspective

chapter 16|36 pages

Disability Through the Lens of Affordances

A Promising Pathway for Transforming Physical Therapy Practice

chapter 17|21 pages

“I Got all I Need to Know About Affordances from Norman”

What Engineers, Designers, and Architects Need to Know About Affordances