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Psychology vocabulary · Cognition and Perception

Cognition

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/kɒɡˈnɪʃən/nounCore term

In psychology, cognition means: The mental processes we use to gain and use knowledge, such as thinking, remembering, paying attention, understanding language and solving problems.

In Turkish: biliş, bilişsel süreçler

How it is used

A core word in lectures, textbooks and research papers. It is usually uncountable, and the adjective cognitive is even more common: cognitive psychology, cognitive development, cognitive decline, cognitive tests.

Example sentences

  1. The study looked at how sleep loss affects cognition in older adults.

  2. Social cognition is about how we perceive and interpret other people.

Common collocations

  • social cognition
  • cognitive psychology
  • cognitive decline
  • affect cognition
  • perceptionThe process by which the brain organises and interprets information from the senses, so that we can recognise objects, sounds, faces and movement.
  • memoryThe ability to take in, store and later recall information and experiences; the word can also mean one particular thing that is remembered.
  • attentionThe ability to focus mental resources on some information while ignoring the rest, for example following one conversation in a noisy room.
  • executive functionA set of higher mental skills, such as planning, holding back impulses, switching between tasks and updating working memory, that let us control and organise behaviour towards goals.

More terms: Cognition and Perception

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.