Two steps back for one step forward: Revisiting augmented cognition principles from a perspective of (social) system theory

One decade after the Augmented Cognition concept validation experiments, the field may have passed the hype phases of inflated expectations and disillusionment but seems to have lost traction before reaching the maturity necessary for broad acceptance and widespread application. The authors suggest that the engineering-driven approach to the fields challenges may have been necessary in the beginning but should be complemented by looking into implications from the social sciences. The goal of this paper is to raise awareness for the field of (social) system theory by taking two steps back: One to revisit the foundational concepts of AugCog from an alternative perspective, another to illustrate the relevance and importance of social systems principles to the AugCog field. We outline practical implications that (social) system theory holds for the design of adaptation management and conclude our review by suggesting that an approach to human-system cooperation may be able to address the challenges.