Cognitive processes are mental processes that ensure rational knowledge of the world. They originate from the Latin word "Cognitio" - that is, knowledge, study, knowledge. We will talk more about them in this article.
What are cognitive processes
Every day the human brain has to handle a huge amount of information, in what mental processes help him.Thanks to the cognitiveness, we have the opportunity to know the surrounding world.
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Let's look at a specific example. You are sitting and watching a movie, with hobby delve into the essence of what is happening, how to suddenly hear a strange sound from the street like an explosion. Do you continue to watch TV, no matter how you happen, or beat the window to take a look, what happened? Naturally, the second option.
Your brain will instantly switch to new information in order to figure out whether it does not run some threat to you. For this, the cognitive processes are responsible for.
Thanks to harmonious mental processes, a person is able to adequately evaluate what is happening correctly by reacting to it. This allows you to correctly adapt to different situations.
The mental process can be both joint and occur independently.
Who is studying cognitive processes? Linguists, sociologists, neurologists, anthropologists and philosophers. Psychology has a separate industry to study these processes called cognitive psychology.
Varieties
Now we will deal with what kind of mental processes are.
Basic (lower) cognitive processes
They are presented:Feeling and perception
We constantly affect the various incentives and signals that make something feel. Feelings serve as an additional tool for knowledge of the surrounding reality. Moreover, they can proceed both from outside and from the depths of ourselves.
Gestalt-psychologists engaged in a detailed study of the perception of the world by man. They were invented by the laws of Gesthatta, according to which the perception of what was happening through optical illusions was explained.
Attention
We live in the world of information and take a lot of signals and incentives every day, while paying attention to what we are experiencing the greatest interest.
For a number of actions, such as walking or chewing, we do not need attention. But it will take a big concentration on what we say and how we are presented, if, for example, it is necessary to speak in public.
Positive moment - with systematic repetition of certain processes, they become automatic. For example, if at first we are hard to deal with the driving of the car, then the skills are improved and performed "on the machine", thanks to which it is spent much less energy.
Memory
In our memory, answers are stored on countless questions arising in life. It is thanks to her, we encrypt the information from the outside and store it to, when you need to restore.Memory can be different types: sensory, short-term, working, autobiographical and so on. All of the species interact with each other, but everyone arises in different parts of the brain.
Highest (complex cognitive processes)
They are presented:
Mind (intelligence)
Intellect acts as a set of abilities that help solve various tasks. Nowadays, the theory of multiple intelligence that Gardner suggested the most greatest popularity. According to her, there is no one type of mind, and in different situations a person uses different abilities, pushing out from what is happening.Smart people are inherent in a number of specific identification signs. But intelligence can be improved, there are several techniques for this.
Thinking
Thoughts of man are incredibly complex and diverse. Thanks to thinking, we can solve various difficulties, reasoning, make decisions, think creative, logically, and so on.
To simplify these processes in our brain, thoughts are created with judgments. Our task is a grouping of ideas, objects, people, etc., which accelerating affects mental processes.
But in the desire to achieve logic, a person often forgets about his irrationality. After all, we only use shortcuts to speed up thinking, but according to the result, we do not analyze all the information! As a result, cognitive prejudices arise, deviations from the norm.
Due to cognitive prejudices, cognitive distortions, negative and irrational thoughts delivering a lot of suffering are developing. For example, "no one loves me", "I will always be alone" and so on.
Fortunately, a person has power over his own thoughts, simply not everyone realizes and not everyone knows how to use it correctly.
Speech
The human brain reproduces and understands different words, sounds, combines an inclulted number of letters with suggestions to express our thoughts and emotions. Some people simultaneously speak several languages (polyglots).Speech is developing and improved all life. Although from birth, we all have different communicative skills, they can improve if practicing long. The latter is especially important for people who have speech disorders, because they are also real if not completely removed, then at least reduce.
Application of cognitive processes in education
Psychologists are engaged in analyzing mental processes to improve human quality. Each of us is important to self-improve and control yourself to achieve certain results. How do cognitive processes help in this?
In learning
There are many learning theories that differ from each other. But in all of them (an exception - the theory of associative training) uses cognitive processes.At the same time, when we teach, all cognitive processes are interrelated. Application is required, the use of all resources to improve learning skills and more efficiently learning to anyone.
When reading
For high-quality reading, it is important to be able to quickly recognize the letters, concentrate on the book, remember information, relate it to what has already been known, and so on.
At the same time, the processing process will differ depending on the purpose: the study of the hobby, preparation for the Ego or just reading the fascinating history.
When writing
The situation is similar to cognitive processes occurring when reading. It is important to protect yourself from excess noise, try to write picking up, do not lose the thought, control spelling, etc. Also importantly, the planning of what we write about.Improving cognitive processes
A positive moment is that mental processes can be improved, and at any age. Take advantage of the following tips to improve your brain.
Watch for health
On how we feel physically and thoughts, cognitive processes are closely influenced. Certain detrimental addictions are extremely negatively affecting mental health, contribute to a decrease in labor productivity.This can be attributed to the unhealthy addiction to the mobile phone, sticking in the Instagram news feed, rejection of a healthy day, harmful meals and many other factors.
Use technical progress to benefit
The benefit is now abundantly diverse ways to improve intelligence: intelligent games, for example. Thanks to neurosis, we begin to better understand what is happening in our brain.
I want to mention the Internet Platform Cognifitis. On her site you will find a lot of psychological tests, exercises, games that allow you to accurately measure and stimulate your cognitive abilities.
Celebration of victories
It is important not to just improve yourself, but also to regularly express yourself praise for the work done. Daily fix your little and big progress, be sure to express yourself thanks for them and continue to develop.
Take care of critical thinking
Critical thinking is a mandatory component of each adult and competent personality. Thanks to him, we get the opportunity to improve the ability to reflect, carry out connections between thoughts, improve speech skills, perform a deep analysis of what is happening and so on.To fully show your potential, it is important to be quite curious.
It is very easy to develop critical thinking in childhood. To do this, ask the baby the question of why a person came out so, and not otherwise, to propose to join the argument with a child with a different position.
In adulthood, it is also important to develop critical thinking, for this you should always analyze the incoming information on the subject of realistic.
Read
Previously, it was already described that the reading involves mental processes in full. And yet, reading something interesting, we get real pleasure plus learn new information, expand our horizons. Reading has a positive effect on solving tasks and improving communication skills.
Do creativity
Drawing, creating stories, inventing melodies, writing poems, photography ... A person is vital to have some creative lesson "for the soul". And the creative deposits have each of us, just not everyone is engaged in their manifestation.What is useful creativity? It develops cognitive processes, it has a positive effect on intelligence, improves the concentration of attention, contributes to finding non-standard techniques for solving problems, relaxes and makes the brain produce a hormone of pleasure and happiness - endorphin!
Tell me "no" multitasking
Unfortunately, in the modern world, a person often lacks time to fulfill all his duties. Then the "Saving" decision comes to mind - to start doing a lot of things right away to figure them out faster. Surely no need to explain how ineffective multitask is and even harmful! Especially it brings harm to children.
Indeed, the human brain is an amazing thing. After all, we are able to simultaneously watch a movie, respond to a message and engage in preparing a working report. But the cunning of multitasciation is that, making a lot of things right away, we will not make any of them in reality. Plus I am very extinguishing.
Psychologists have long been told that in order to fully enjoy life, it is important to live in the present moment, not jumping into the future and not returning to the past. If you are experiencing difficulties with concentration, various meditative practices will come to the aid.
Adhere to these recommendations, without ceasing to improve yourself daily!
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