Written by Melinda S. Jacobs & Joanna Ioannidou
This article introduces the theory of the Cognitive Current, a dynamic theory of interchangeability between the digital and the physical world. It builds upon existing theories of digital and physical interactions, such as the magic circle (Huizinga, 1950; Nieuwdorp, 2005) and the porous membrane (Castronova, 2005) to develop a theory that exemplifies the commonality between the environments. With the Cognitive Current theory, the focus is taken beyond the more static theories that address the relationship between digital and physical environments, and instead, moves towards the user, and specifically the user’s cognition as the driving force behind the flow of knowledge and transactions between the digital and the physical.
