User:Phlsph7/Cognition - Definition
Definition
[edit]Cognitions are mental processes that deal with knowledge, involving the acquisition, transformation, storage, retrieval, and use of information.[1] For example, these processes occur when reading an article, as sensory information about the text is acquired and preexisting linguistic knowledge is retrieved to interpret the meaning. This information is then transformed as different ideas are linked, resulting in the storage of information as memories and beliefs are formed.[2]
Cognitions are a pervasive part of mental life, and many cognitive processes happen simultaneously. They are essential for understanding and interacting with the world by making individuals aware of their environment and helping them plan and execute appropriate responses.[3] Thought is a paradigmatic form of cognition. It considers ideas, analyzes information, draws inferences, solves problems, and forms beliefs. However, cognition is not limited to abstract reasoning and encompasses diverse psychological processes, including perception, attention, memory, language, and decision-making.[4] It is controversial whether or under what conditions feelings, emotions, and other affects qualify as cognitions.[5] Some controversial views associated with cognitivism argue that all mental phenomena are cognitions.[6]
Cognitive activities can happen consciously, like when a person deliberately analyzes a problem step by step. They can also take place unconsciously, such as automatic mechanisms responsible for language processing and facial recognition.[7] Rationalists typically emphasize the role of basic principles and inferences in the generation of knowledge. Empiricists, by contrast, highlight sensory processes as the ultimate source of all knowledge of the world, arguing that all cognitive processes deal with sensory input.[8] Many fields of inquiry study cognition, including psychology, cognitive science, neurology, and philosophy. While research focuses primarily on the human mind, cognition is not limited to humans and encompasses animal and artificial cognition.[9]
The term cognition originates from the Indo-European root gnō-, meaning 'to know'. This root is present in the Latin term gnōscere, also meaning 'to know', which led to the formation of the verb cognōscere, meaning 'to learn, to investigate'. Through its past participle cognitus, the Latin verb entered Middle English as cognicioun. The earliest documented use occurred in 1447, eventually evolving into the modern English word cognition.[10]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^
- Revlin 2013, pp. 2–7
- Matlin 2013, pp. 2–4
- Strickland 2001, pp. 131–132
- ^
- Matlin 2013, pp. 2–4
- Revlin 2013, pp. 2–7
- Best 1995, pp. 4–5
- ^
- Matlin 2013, pp. 2–4
- Revlin 2013, pp. 2–7
- Strickland 2001, pp. 131–132
- Best 1995, pp. 1
- ^
- American Psychological Association 2018
- Anastasi 2008, Lead section
- Cain 2016, § 1.2 Cognition
- Strickland 2001, pp. 131–132
- ^
- American Psychological Association 2018
- Cain 2016, § 1.2 Cognition
- ^ Dreyfus 1991, pp. 1–2
- ^
- Cain 2016, § 1.2 Cognition
- Robbins 2017, § 1. What Is a Mental Module?
- Bermúdez 2014, p. 289
- ^
- Revlin 2013, pp. 2–3
- Balota 2000, pp. 131–132
- Coren & Ward 1989, pp. 2–3
- ^
- Balota 2000, pp. 131–132
- Matlin 2013, pp. iv, 3–4, 21–22
- American Psychological Association 2018a
- Fioretti 2024
- ^
Sources
[edit]- Gregory, R. L. (1987). The Oxford Companion to the Mind. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-866124-X.
- American Psychological Association (2018). "Cognition". APA Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association.
- American Psychological Association (2018a). "Animal Cognition". APA Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association.
- Dreyfus, Hubert L. (1991). "Socratic And Platonic Sources Of Cognitivism". In Smith, J-C. (ed.). Historical Foundations Of Cognitive Science. Springer Dordrecht. pp. 1–17. ISBN 978-94-009-2161-0.
- Anastasi, Jeffrey S. (2008). "Cognition". In Darity, William A. (ed.). International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2nd ed.). Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 978-0-02-865965-7.
- Revlin, Russell (2013). Cognition: Theory and Practice. Worth Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7167-5667-5.
- Matlin, Margaret W. (2013). Cognition (8th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-14896-9.
- Cain, M. J. (2016). The Philosophy of Cognitive Science. Polity Press. ISBN 978-1-5095-0205-9.
- HarperCollins (2022). "Cognition". The American Heritage Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- HarperCollins (2022a). "Indo-European Roots Appendix". The American Heritage Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers. § gnō-. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- Hoad, T. F. (1993). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-283098-8.
- Balota, David A. (2000). "Cognition". In Kazdin, Alan E. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Psychology. pp. 131–132. ISBN 978-1-55798-187-5.
- Fioretti, Guido (2024). "Artificial Cognition". In Wall, Friederike; Chen, Shu-Heng; Leitner, Stephan (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Agent-based Computational Management Science. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-766812-2.
- Strickland, Bonnie Ruth, ed. (2001). The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology (2nd ed.). Gale Group. ISBN 0-7876-4786-1.
- Robbins, Philip (2017). "Modularity of Mind". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- Bermúdez, José Luis (2014). Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Science of the Mind (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-05162-1.
- Best, John B. (1995). Cognitive Psychology (4th ed.). West Publishing Company. ISBN 0-314-04445-0.
- Coren, Stanley; Ward, Lawrence M. (1989). Sensation & Perception (3rd ed.). Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers. ISBN 0-15-579647-X.