In recent discussions of cognitive systems, a controversial issue has been whether certain environments can enhanced or extend our cognitive system. On the one hand, some argue that our environment has no connection to how they may behave, and on the other hand, however, some argue that our environment has everything to do with how our cognitive system works. In the scholarly article “The Devil’s in the details: Mental institutions and proper engagement” the authors, Deborah Tollefsen and Rick Dale, go into depth about Shaun Gallagher’s theory that social institutions can become part of a cognitive system. Through out the article Gallagher argues that our cognitive abilities are enhanced or extended by our environments. Due to the mindset of those with mental illnesses, they are easily taken control of. The aspects of this article also connect with the an unhealthy woman controlled by her husband due to her mental state, in the novel “The Girl on the Train” written by, Paula Hawkins. Mental institutions have the ability to control their patients’ when being in charge of the type of environment they are surrounded by. The control mental institutions and those in power of someone with a mental illness, can easily change the patients' everyday routine ultimately changing their cognitive system.

My own view is that our cognitive system is controlled by the type of environment we are in, and in many cases, people can be taken control of because of their cognitive state. Though I understand that some may disagree, I still maintain my argument. For example, many mental institutions have complete control over their patients because of the mental state the patients are in. Although some might object that mental institutions could have so much control over their patients because of the patients cognitive system, I would reply that overall, our environment is what changes our cognitive systems. Just as, the mental state of someone suffering from alcoholism can easily be controlled. The issue is important because, people need to be aware of their behavior changes in certain environments or situations to fully understand how their cognitive system works. 

According to specialist Gavan Lintern, “A cognitive system is a one that performs the cognitive work of knowing, understanding, planning, deciding, problem solving, analyzing, synthesizing, assessing, and judging as they are fully integrated with perceiving and acting.” (Lintern, 1). Basically, our cognitive system determines the type of people we are. Humans may act differently in front of professionals than they do their friends, or act differently at work than in their own homes, it depends on the environment they are placed in. From personal experience, I would agree with this statement, I would not act the same with my friend, as I would with a professor. The environment of a mental institution, or an unhealthy home can change one’s cognitive system. There are certain social norms that differentiate between environments. 

 In the beginning of “The Devil’s in the details: Mental institutions and proper engagement” Gallagher states that there are certain forms of social cognition that determine how one acts in an environment at a certain time, place, and with certain people. “Cognition is enactive and emotionally embedded engagement with the world through which we solve problems, control behavior, understand, judge, explain, and generally do certain kinds of things.” (Gallagher, 11). Gallagher explains his theory by relating his idea of a form to a legal judgment simply stating that our minds are a dynamic process and we make the decisions we do based on the processes around us. For example, he states that many of our cognitions would not be possible if it weren’t for our legal system. A contract is a legal agreement that states the rights and laws of the certain agreement for the individual to adhere by. “Contracts are institutions that embody conceptual schemas that, in turn, contribute to and shape our cognitive processes… As such they are used as tools to accomplish certain aims, to reinforce certain behaviors, and to solve certain problems” (Gallagher 4). One would not preform a certain act if it were unacceptable legally, just as one would not preform an act that is against rules in a mental institution. As stated before, we act differently in certain situations that are affected by the environments we are in.

In a mental institution, there are certain acceptable norms. If a patient were to act out, or seem upset, it is normal to quickly give them medicine, where as if there were not in the environment they were in, they wouldn’t be medicated as quickly. The medication some patients are given lower their cognitive system, making them less worried about their knowing, understanding, assessing, judging, and many more aspect, as they are fully integrated with perceiving and acting. Gallagher states, “Indeed, without them (cognitive systems), specific classes of cognitive processes would simply not exist. They are at least enabling conditions, and on the most liberal reading, constitutive of those processes. Examples include things like legal systems, educational systems, cultural institutions, museums, and even the institution of science itself.” There are several different systems and institutions that enhance or extend our cognitive system, changing how we act. 

In a mental institution all social interactions are scheduled by, the institutional members, technology, and institutional spaces. Mental institutions hold the power of dependence over the patients. Due to the patient’s mental illnesses, they depend on the institutions to keep them sane; therefore, the institutions have control over their patients. According to Kasey Edwards, an award-winning author, there are certain aspects of being in a mental institution that make one feel more out of sorts. For example, the nurses and employees speak to patients as if they are young children, “allowing” patients to walk around the facility or making them line up in straight lines to receive their medication. Another example Edwards points out to her audience, is that the mental institutions have control over patients and their criteria for medicating them. Patients are commonly proscribed serious prescriptions for minuet problems. Edwards personally went to visit a friend in a mental institution and was informed that her friend was given stronger drugs than needed, when all she asked for was a simple sleeping medication. ‘You do feel crazy when you are doped up on Seroquel and you can’t remember anything or can’t think clearly. You can’t focus when you’re on that sort of medication. All you can do is color in. All these women are just sitting around coloring in mandalas.’ (Edwards, 2) As seen, this certain environment changed the way this woman felt when living in the mental institution. 

All patients in mental institutions are there involuntary because the court or law had determined they were harmful to themselves or to others, or either voluntary because they understand that they personally need help. It is important to make an environment acceptable for every mental patient, alone, has an affect on the living situation for the people. Most aspects need to be taken to the extreme due to the situation. Something as serious as the medicine patients are given, to what they are eating for dessert are all controlled and overlooked by the institution. Patients begin to rely on others around to help them, creating a different cognitive system than an independent person would have. 

Mental institutions were created to control those who could not control themselves. As stated before, in a mental institution employees have control over the patients’ medicine, meals, interactions, and alone time. Being on a tight schedule day after day is an environment different from that of being independent is seen to change the way people act. The dependency of the institution by the patients, allows the institution to have complete control on patients, and what happens inside the walls of these hospitals. Comparing a healthy independent individual, to a mentally ill depended person, would show major differences in ways they would interact with others, make decisions, and every other aspect the cognitive system controls. 

There are many different variations of mental illness, ones that incline medicated help, and ones that cannot be controlled by medicine, such as alcoholism. Alcoholism is considered to be a mental illness because it is addiction and known as a substance abuse disorder. Many people suffer from alcoholism and are never treated for it because it is an abuse disorder, only allowing that specific individual to help him or herself. This certain type of mental illness does not necessarily put people in a mental institution, but even though people in an institution are not controlling them, most likely the more powerful people in their specific environment are controlling them. For example, the main character from “The Girl on the Train”, Rachel Watson, was being controlled by her husband when she was not in the right mental state to control herself. 

Patients in the mental institutions are taken control of because of their mental illnesses. Their environment, being the institution with doctors, as well as other patients effects the actions they make. The novel “The Girl On The Train” by Paula Hawkins, is an example of someone being controlled because of an illness and cognitive state. Due to a horrific personal event, the main character Rachel Watson became an alcoholic. Her ex-husband was by her through her stages of becoming an alcoholic. Alcohol was Rachel’s own medication, she felt as if she needed to drink to wash her worries away. “I lost and I drank and I drank and I lost” Rachel was aware of her drinking problem but she could not stop herself. Drinking a little too much a little too often, Rachel became an easy target for her husband to control. He would tell her insane, over exaggerated stories that she had not remembered due to her consumption of alcohol, manipulating her into thinking she was a monster when she drinks. Rachel truly believed the stories her ex husband had told her because she trusted him to help her when she could not help herself. “After a while, I learned that when you wake up like that, you don’t ask what happened, you just say you’re sorry: you’re sorry for what you did and who you are and you’re never, ever going to behave like that again” Rachel’s husband Tom was taking advantage of her, and after a while of these lies were told, Rachel accepted the fact that when she woke up in the morning, not knowing what happened the day before, the only thing to do was to apologize. Rachel was not even sure what she was apologizing for any longer but was manipulated into thinking she always had a need to.  She was afraid of herself and what she could do when alcohol was in the picture. Because of Rachel’s drinking problem, her ex husband involuntary determined her unsafe to others or herself and decided to take advantage of her black outs. 

Rachel was not in a mental institution, but her own home. Her environment had changed her cognitive system. The personal issue Rachel was having before she became an alcoholic was, she was not able to get pregnant. She did not have a substance abuse until her environment changed when her and her husband could not have a child. They began to fight a lot, she was always feeling upset, and she became very depressed and turned to alcohol. Rachel was repeatedly lied to and understood herself to be a drunken mess. “I’m a good liar…Even if she did check, the thing with Rachel is, she wont remember what happened tomorrow anyway.” Her husband began to take control over the fact that Rachel had a drinking problem and knew he could lie to her if needed. The change in environment and consumption of alcohol lead Rachel to her mental illness, supporting my argument that ones environment can change ones’ cognitive system. 

Understanding what a cognitive system is and how it works will help understand how Rachel Watson’s cognitive system was changed when she was living in the unhealthy environment with her ex husband and consuming alcohol. If Rachel did not have a substance abuse illness, her husband would not have been able to take control over her the way he did. Earlier in this paper, I stated that cognitive abilities are enhanced or extended by our environments. One may believe that is a positive aspect, but for this particular argument, the cognitive abilities enhanced or extended by a certain environments, can have a negative effect on people. As understood through out the paper, there are situations where people’s environment leaves them with a lack of control over their own lives. Those in mental institutions have no freedom, and the main character from “The Girl on the Train” Rachel, was living in a lie her ex husband had been feeding her. 

My own view is that our cognitive system is controlled by the type of environment we are in, and in many cases, people can be taken control of because of their cognitive state. After examining Gallagher’s theory that social institutions can become part of a cognitive system, I have come to the conclusion that people in a poor mental state of mind, can easily be controlled by those in their environment. Although some might object that mental institutions could have so much control over their patients I would reply that, as humans, we act differently in different situations. Patients in mental institutions have a changed cognitive system due to the lack of control they have over themselves, just as someone suffering from alcoholism can be easily controlled by an outside source. In both cases, mental states are affected. The issue is important people need to be aware of their behavior changes in certain environments or situations to fully understand how their cognitive system works. 
