Key Cognitive Processes
Cognitive is an adjective used to describe conscious intellectual activities - such as thinking, reasoning, remembering, and learning - that help you acquire knowledge and understand the world. It comes from the Latin word cognoscere, meaning "to get to know".
Cognition encompasses all mental abilities and processes related to knowledge.
Core functions include:
- Perception: Interpreting sensory information to make sense of your environment.
- Memory: Encoding, storing, and retrieving information.
- Attention: Focusing on specific stimuli while filtering out distractions.
- Language: Understanding and producing spoken or written words.
- Executive Functions: Higher-level reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
