Glossary / Lexicon

Cognition refer to the processes or faculties by which knowledge is acquired and manipulated; the activity of knowing and the processes through which knowledge is acquired; thought or belief.

Cognition is the capacity for knowing, organizing perceptions, and problem solving. Moreover, Cognition is the part of the mental status examination that assesses the client’s orientation to time, place, and person; short- and long-term memory ; knowledge base and intellectual functioning; and insight and judgment.

Description

Cognition, in the psychology context, refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. It encompasses a wide range of functions, including perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. Cognition is crucial for how we interpret and interact with the world around us, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Psychologists study cognition to understand how individuals learn, process information, and make sense of their environment.

Application Areas

• Educational psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Human factors and ergonomics
• Artificial intelligence

Treatment and Risks

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy for cognitive distortions
• Risks of cognitive decline with aging
• Individualized cognitive training programs
• Medication for cognitive enhancement or impairment
• Prevention of cognitive deficits through healthy lifestyle choices

Examples

• Problem-solving strategies
• Memory encoding and retrieval processes
• Language comprehension and production
• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Attentional processes and multi-tasking

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Mental processes
• Information processing
• Cognitive functions
• Thinking abilities
• Perceptual reasoning

Articles with 'Cognition' in the title

• Metacognition: Metacognition means thinking or awareness of one's own thoughts- awareness and knowledge of and control of one's cognitive abilities, and thoughts as shown by the intentional use of cognitive strategies in solving problems and the factors . . .
• Word recognition: Word recognition refers to the ability to read or pronounce a word- usually implies that the word is recognized immediately by sight and that the child does not need to apply word analysis skills
• Cognitions: Cognitions refer to thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or pieces of knowledge
• Social cognition: Social cognition refers to a construct to describe how people think about themselves in relation to others, and how they interpret ambiguous events and solve problems
• False recognition errors: False recognition errors is when a subject believes that an item was presented during a study although it was not.
• Depressogenic cognitions: Depressogenic cognitions refer to the negative perceptual and attributional styles and beliefs associated with depressive s ymptoms. Other /More definition: Depressogenic cognitions refers to the negative perceptual and attributional . . .
• Procedural metacognition: Procedural metacognition refers to the knowledge about "when strategies" are necessary, as well as monitoring "how well" one is performing on a task.
• Declarative metacognition: Declarative metacognition refers to the explicit, conscious, and factual knowledge a person has about the characteristics of the task he or she is performing, one's own weak and strong points with respect to performing the task, and the . . .
• Pattern recognition: Pattern recognition refers to the classification of a stimulus into a category.
• Collaborative cognition: Collaborative cognition is the cognitive performance that results from the interaction of two (2) or more individuals.
• Word-recognition method: Word-recognition method: word-recognition method refers to a method for learning to read in which children come to recognize words through repeated exposure to them
• Yes/no recognition test: Yes/no recognition test: yes/no recognition test refers to a memory test on which subjects decide whether each item was studied or not by saying "yes it was" or "no it was not"
• Consonant cognitions: Consonant cognitions refer to beliefs that are consistent or compatible with one another
• Dissociability (of language and cognition): Dissociability (of language and cognition) : Dissociability (of language and cognition ) refers to the independence of one function from the other, which would imply that each function relies on a separate underlying mental capacity
• Dissonant cognitions: Dissonant cognitions is defined as beliefs that are inconsistent or logically discrepant with one another
• Forced-choice recognition test: Forced-choice recognition test is defined as a test in which the participant must select between two (2) or more statements- usually used to control response styles
• Hot cognitions: Hot cognitions refers to a strong or highly charged thought or idea that produces powerful emotional reactions.
• Implicit cognition: Implicit cognition refers to thought that occurs without awareness that one is thinking.
• Need for cognition: Need for cognition refers to the motivation to think and analyze. Assessed by agreement with items such as "the notion of thinking abstractly is displeasing to me" and disagreement with items such as "I only think as hard as I have to"
• Approval-Seeking/Recognition-Seeking: Approval-Seeking/Recognition-Seeking refers to the sense that approval, attention and recognition are far more important than genuine self-expression and being true to oneself

Summary

Cognition in psychology studies the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding through various functions such as perception, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. It is essential for how individuals interpret and interact with their environment, influencing thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Psychologists apply cognitive theories and research in areas such as education, clinical practice, neuroscience, human factors, and artificial intelligence to improve understanding and enhance cognitive functioning in various contexts.

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