cognitive
KOG-nih-tiv
/ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv/
Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, reasoning, and learning.
Focuses specifically on thinking mechanisms and mental operations rather than emotional or physical actions.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 'co-' (together) and 'gnoscere' (to know), sharing roots with words like 'know' and 'recognize'. It entered English in the 16th century to describe the faculty of knowing.
Word relationships
- intellectual: 'Intellectual' often refers to high-level academic or reflective thinking, while 'cognitive' includes all mental processing.
- mental: 'Mental' is broader and encompasses emotional states, whereas 'cognitive' isolates thinking and reasoning.
- affective: Affective relates to emotions and feelings rather than conscious thought operations.
Commonly confused with
- recognition: Recognition is identifying something known before, whereas cognitive describes all thinking systems.
Word family
- cognition (noun): The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge.
- cognitively (adverb): In a manner relating to mental processes.
Collocations
- cognitive development
- cognitive ability
- cognitive skill
- cognitive function
Example sentences
- "Piaget described how cognitive structures evolve through continuous interaction with the environment." Jean Piaget's psychology theory
- "Puzzles and problem-solving exercises stimulate early cognitive development in young children." Educational intervention report
Memory hook
Cognitive relates to your 'cognition'—your brain's ignition switch for thinking. Cognitive is thinking power.
When not to use
Do not use to describe purely emotional feelings or involuntary reflex actions.
Fun facts
- Cognitive psychology emerged as a dominant branch in the 1950s during the 'cognitive revolution' inspired by computer processing models.
Related words
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