Affordances

Affordance is, from what I understand, something that the environment offers that we may or may not be able to perceive well enough to put it to use. This interpretation makes it difficult to understand whether affordances are part of the environment itself or brought about by the environment.

The connection between affordance and evolution is that evolution sometimes stems from the result that these affordances have on any living creature, and whether their perception to these affordances will make them advance in any significant way.

Habitat is 'where' the animal lives, whereas niche pertains more to the 'how'. I take this to mean that my habitat could be my apartment, and its affordances would be the physical features that push me to live or move a certain way while inside it.

—GROUP STUFF—

1. Window shades — Are there to keep the sunlight from coming into the room, and they do it regardless of whether we notice them or not, and make us have to work under the the fluorescent lighting of the room, instead of the natural light from outside. The chain on its side gives us the option of removing that barrier and receiving sunlight in addition to the artificial one in the room.
2. Mouse — Is attached to the computer, and its main function is to allow us to navigate the screen more easily. It has buttons and a wheel, so we are conditioned to touching it and clicking the appropriate buttons, and or sliding it over the desktop in a certain way, in order to achieve a certain result.
3. Speakers — Are spread all over the room, and surround us with sounds, which may or may not be pleasant, and towards which we may react in one way or other. They're set up high on the walls and out of our reach, so that we may choose to passively sit back and listen, or move to the command center in the main computer to change the volume.

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'Usefulness' is how helpful something is, in that it has one or more uses that you may or may not need.

Whereas 'utility' is whether or not you put those uses to use. To utilize is to take advantage of something's purpose.

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A false affordance would be a doorknob on a wall. Because you are giving the mistaken impression that there is an exit/entrance in a place where there isn't. Which can cause mental stress. And trauma. Which can lead to PTSD. And that is very serious. Very.

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No, we are most certainly not aware of all the affordances that surround us, because they're circumstantial in most cases. We probably don't think of the uses of a particular object or feature until we have need for them. Yes, affordances are cultural, because someone who has use for a knife in a symbolic or religious way, has one more affordance over a person who uses it only to cut food. Yes, they are different for people with disabilities, because while a disabled person might only have the choice of using a ramp to get into a building, a fully abled person would have the added choice of using the stairs as well.

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We shall discuss this last question upon our return

Draw parallels between the idea of affordances and intentionality and art. What is the relationship between metaphor and affordances? I think this might be worth thinking about this.