Cognitive technologies for gist processing

Cognitive technologies extend our cognitive abilities, yet they are currently deficient in many respects. According to fuzzy-trace theory, people are gist processors with a fuzzy-processing preference, and information is mentally represented along a fuzzy-to-verbatim continuum. An understanding of gist processing could form the basis of a new generation of more effective cognitive technologies. This suggests, first, the need for new tools to help Web page creators optimize gist representations of text. Such a system could provide feedback about the visitor’s gist and make recommendations about rewriting. It also suggests the need for new tools to help authors create more effective means of presenting quantitative data in visual form. The advocated approach capitalizes on the collective knowledge of communities of practice on the Web. Finally, it suggests the need for new tools for collecting input from users. The facial composite system EvoFIT is cited as an example.