Situated Cognition Spring School (SCSS) 2022:
“Situated Cognition: Applications, Prospects and Limits”

Abstract

Our spring school brings together leading researchers in the field of the situated mind. We aim to exchange the latest advancements and ideas on situated cognition and show how the corresponding concepts apply in the real world to tackle various problems. To achieve this goal, researchers from all ends of the interdisciplinary spectrum are invited: philosophers, psychologists, neuroscientists, animal researchers, and experts for artificial systems. They are joined by members of our research training group ‘Situated Cognition’ and an international group of highly promising doctoral students and early postdoctoral researchers from other universities who applied for a talk or poster presentation. We will ensure an open and constructive setting to foster networking, intensive discussion, and exciting exchange with leading experts and fellow students of this research area.

Organization

The Research Training Group ‘Situated Cognition’ decided that our spring school will take place in person. Given the pandemic situation, this conference cannot, of course, be realized without suitable safety measures on-site to which all participants must agree. Our main priority is to ensure a safe and comfortable event for all participants. You find our safety standards detailed below. Given this regulation, the number of participants is highly limited. Therefore, we unfortunately cannot allow on-site participation of any people other than those already enrolled. However, the keynote talks will be streamed via Zoom (see below).

Streaming

Though our spring school is generally planned as an offline event in Bochum, the keynotes will additionally be streamed via Zoom for a wider audience. Please check the following news link for more information on the online part of our spring school: Online Lecture Series on Situated Cognition

Zoom-Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84788041160?pwd=YTl5ck9CeEZDS2hZcWZTNDNGSm4rZz09
Meeting-ID: 847 8804 1160
Kenncode: vF3776

Topics

Leading researchers will present state-of-the-art research in the following areas: 

• Theories and concepts of the situated mind
• Situated comparative cognition and animal cognition
• Situated cognitive development
• Intelligent systems form a situated perspective
• Situated action & perception
• Extremism and radicalization research form a situated perspective
• Psychological disorders from a situated perspective

Keynote Speakers (alphabetical order)

• Kristin Andrews (Animal Cognition, York University, Canada)
• Ferdinand C. Binkofski (Clinical Cognitive Science, RWTH Aachen, Germany)
• Leon de Bruin (Situated Cognition & Philosophy of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands)
• Stefan Kopp (AI & Cognitive Systems, University of Bielefeld, Germany)
• Robert Rupert (Philosophy of Cognition, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA)
• Gudrun Schwarzer (Developmental Psychology, Gießen University, Germany)
• Anne Speckhard (Extremism Research, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., USA)
• Henrik Walter (Psychiatry & Philosophy of Mind, Charité Berlin, Germany)

Further speakers will include members of the RTG and those selected by the previous call.

Program Overview

– Monday, 28th of March –

– Tuesday, 29th of March –

– Wednesday, 30th of March –

– Thursday, 31st of March –

The full program of our conference can be downloaded here:

Poster Presentations

Our spring school will also host young researchers that will give poster presentations in a dedicated session (see schedule). An overview of the presenters their titles can be downloaded here.

Safety Standards

The pandemic situation is not yet over and we want to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. You can, of course, personally decide to take precautions above this standard. In either case, we want to make this event possible in person by ensuring both comfort and safety for all participants. Hence, we decided for the following rigorous safety measures. 

• All participants must conform to the 2G standard. This means that participants typically have to be fully vaccinated. This is satisfied by two up-to-date vaccinations. A third vaccination is highly welcomed, but not mandatory. Please carry some form of proof for this.

• All participants need to be tested each day. This can be done via official tests around the city (verified by an official certificate), or via our own tests on-site in front of the building. A third vaccination does not substitute the obligation to be tested!

• FFP2-masks or surgical masks are obligatory, especially when moving around, during close discussions, at catering tables or during commutes to other rooms. The mask must also be worn at the seat, but the speakers can take their masks off during their talk. Each participant receives one mask for free at the opening of the event.

The up to date information on corona safety measures of the Ruhr University Bochum can be obtained here: https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/current-information-about-corona

Call for Talks and Posters

Doctoral students and early postdoctoral researchers were invited to submit for our call. The call is now closed and some applicants were chosen to participate at our spring school for a poster presentation or talk. The call is still available via the following link: https://easychair.org/cfp/scss-2022

Organizers

This spring school is organized by members of the RTG “Situated Cognition”:

• Albert Newen (Bochum)
• Sabrina Coninx (Bochum)
• Achim Stephan (Osnabrück)
• Gregor Hörzer (Osnabrück) 

Venue

We would like to provide our registered guests with some directions for download. We also refer to the website of our conference building for detailed directions: ZEMOS

Group Photo