Kognicija

Kognicija, or cognition, is the set of mental processes by which living beings acquire, process, store, and use information. It includes perception, attention, memory, learning, language, reasoning, problem solving, and decision making. These processes enable knowledge acquisition, learning, adaptation, and goal-directed behavior. They can be conscious or unconscious and are studied across fields such as psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computer science, and philosophy.

The term derives from Latin cognitio (knowledge, learning) and has cognates in many languages. In science, kognicija covers both basic mechanisms in the brain and higher-order activities such as planning and evaluation.

Subfields include cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive linguistics, and artificial intelligence; methods range from behavioral experiments and cognitive modeling to neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) and computational simulations.

Historical notes: modern study emerged in mid-20th century with the cognitive revolution; earlier philosophical inquiries into knowledge, perception, and memory.

Applications: education, clinical assessment and therapy, human-computer interaction, design of information systems, and AI research.

See also: metacognition, consciousness, memory, perception, reasoning.