Cognition is a broad term that encompasses all sorts of thought processes — from those that guide physical movement to those involved with learning and memory retention. What is cognition in education and psychology? According to Verywell Mind, it often refers to the mental processes that enable humans to learn and understand new information and retain it in their memory.^{(See disclaimer 1 )}

While cognition is often discussed in psychology and educational settings, its applications extend well beyond traditional classrooms. Researchers and professionals use cognitive principles to improve workplace training, healthcare education, leadership development, technology adoption, user experience design and organizational learning. Wherever people are required to learn, adapt and perform, cognition plays a critical role.

If you decide to earn a PhD degree online,^{(See disclaimer 2)} you might focus your dissertation on a topic pertaining to cognition and instruction. You may decide to dive into the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge, for example, or the factors that can adversely affect cognition, such as age.^{(See disclaimer 1)} Take a closer look at what cognition is, which types of mental processes there are and how cognition affects education. 

Cognition is the process by which people learn and process new information, such as by relying on their senses, experiences and thoughts. Through cognition, people can perceive what is going on around them, process it and develop an appropriate reaction to it.^{(See disclaimer 3 )}

A researcher studying cognition might consider questions such as, How do people think? and How do people learn? They might also consider ways of optimizing cognitive processes to enhance mental abilities. For example, researchers might look for ways of helping individuals overcome cognitive biases to improve their ability to learn new information.

According to Psychology Today, cognition in psychology can refer to any type of thought process and the act of thinking itself. The psychology field also extends cognitive research to learning, including language learning, as well as memory retention, logical reasoning and attention.^{(See disclaimer 4)} 

Researchers in this field may consider how a person’s lived experiences can change their cognition over time. They may study how a person’s cultural background influences their style of thinking. Another major area of study in psychology is how cognitive biases affect human thought and behavior, such as selectively processing preferred information in response to confirmation bias.^{(See disclaimer 4)}

Cognition as a Core Area of Psychology

Cognition is such an influential concept in the psychology field that it has its own specialization. Cognitive psychology is the study of the cognitive processes involved with acquiring, processing, storing and retrieving information. Cognitive psychology researchers may explore anything from why people forget information to how people make the choices that guide their behavior.^{(See disclaimer 5)} 

Relatively new in the field, the concept of cognitive psychology was introduced in 1967. Today, it’s a diverse specialization with numerous implications for everyday application. For example, cognitive psychology research may benefit patients coping with learning disorders or recovering from brain trauma.^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Cognitive Theories and Models

In cognitive psychology, cognitive theory refers to the study of thought processes in order to understand human behavior. There are different types of cognitive theories, such as social cognitive theory and cognitive learning theory. The former explores how people model the positive behaviors of other people, while the latter examines how people think and problem-solve while learning new information.^{(See disclaimer 6)}

Cognitive processes are mental functions that are often interconnected and are used for multiple purposes, including perceiving, processing, storing and retrieving information.

The core mental processes include:

Perception and Attention

The mental process of perception uses the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) to collect and interpret sensory information. Perception also involves spatial awareness and object recognition, per this Linus Health article.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Attention, meanwhile, enables individuals to focus on information, such as what is being perceived. Attention is a necessary foundation for other types of mental processes, such as learning and decision-making.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Memory and Learning

Like attention and perception, memory and learning go hand-in-hand. Memory enables learning by allowing the brain to store, retain and then later retrieve information. There are different types of memory, including short-term memory and long-term memory.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Language

Language is a defining characteristic of humanity. This cognitive process involves the ability to understand, process and produce language. It includes an individual’s ability to speak, interpret spoken language, write and read.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Executive Function

Executive function isn't one particular mental process; rather, it's a collection of them. Executive functions are higher-level abilities that include reasoning, setting goals, making decisions and solving problems. With executive function, a person has the ability to plan and organize, as well as adapt to changes and regulate themselves.^{(See disclaimer 7)}

Cognition plays a central role in education. After all, the core cognitive processes are involved with receiving, processing and interpreting information, and saving that information in one’s memory. There are many theories about how people learn. One of the most prominent is cognitive learning theory, developed by Jean Piaget, a renowned researcher of child development.^{(See disclaimer 8)}

Cognitive Learning Theory 

Jean Piaget’s cognitive learning theory served as a response to the longstanding idea that a child’s brain is like a computer with nothing saved to its memory. In other words, the brain can then be filled with information over time.^{(See disclaimer 8)}

Instead of accepting the “passive receptor” model, Piaget conducted experiments to determine that children actually learn in multiple cognitive stages through the processes of exploring and discovering the world around them. 

According to the cognitive learning theory, a child’s four stages of brain development are:

• Sensorimotor stage: From birth to age two, this stage acknowledges that a very young child’s perception of the world is governed by sensory stimuli.
• Pre-operational stage: Between ages two and six, this is the period characterized primarily by language acquisition.
• Concrete operational stage: Between ages seven and 11, children begin to think about the world in concrete ways, not yet processing abstract concepts, however.
• Formal operational stage: From 12 until adulthood, children can understand abstract concepts and use logical thought and reasoning.

Teachers can use cognitive learning theory in the classroom. For example, in an early childhood education classroom, teachers can encourage exploration and discovery, such as by providing sensory learning materials. In a secondary classroom, teachers can design activities that encourage reflection, analytical thought and reasoning.

Cognition is relevant in virtually any environment where people learn, solve problems or make decisions. Cognitive principles can help researchers and practitioners understand how individuals process information, develop expertise and transfer knowledge between contexts.

Healthcare

• Patient education
• Clinical simulations
• Decision-support tools
• Medical training

Business and Organizations

• Leadership development
• Employee onboarding
• Organizational learning
• Change management

Technology

• Human-computer interaction
• User experience research
• AI adoption and training
• Product design

What is cognition in psychology, and how is it different from cognition in education? Both fields involve the study of the same human brain, but there is a difference regarding theory and practical application.

Theoretical Focus vs. Practical Application

The primary difference between cognition in the psychology vs. education fields is that the former is predominantly concerned with the study of the human brain and its mental processes — how humans perceive, learn and remember.^{(See disclaimer 5)} In contrast, the education field is primarily concerned with the application of learning theories to empower students to learn more effectively.^{(See disclaimer 8)}

That isn’t to say, however, that psychological research cannot be applied in the psychology field as well as in the education field. In fact, psychologists may draw upon research in cognitive psychology to treat patients. The practical application of cognitive psychology has led to the development of numerous therapeutic approaches and techniques, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).^{(See disclaimer 5)}

Explore how cognition and instruction influence learning, decision-making and performance across educational, organizational, healthcare and technology settings a PhD in General Psychology: Cognition and Instruction (Qualitative Research) at Grand Canyon University. This research-focused doctoral degree explores the process of learning and development through the lens of educational research.