Cognitive Process
<p >In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science" title="Science" >science</a>, <b>cognition</b>: refers to mental processes. These processes include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention" title="Attention" >attention</a>, memory, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, science and computer science. Usage of the term varies in different disciplines; for example in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" title="Psychology" >psychology</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_science" title="Cognitive science" >cognitive science</a>, it usually refers to an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_processing" title="Information processing" >information processing</a> view of an individual's psychological <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism(philosophy_of_mind)" title="Functionalism (philosophy of mind)" >functions</a>. It is also used in a branch of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_psychology" title="Social psychology" >social psychology</a> called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_cognition" title="Social cognition" >social cognition</a> to explain<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude(psychology)" title="Attitude (psychology)" >attitudes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution" title="Attribution" >attribution</a> and groups dynamics.
The term cognition comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin" >Latin</a> verb <i>congnosco</i> (<b>con</b> 'with' + <b>gnōscō</b> 'know'), itself a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loanword" title="Loanword" >loanword</a> from the Ancient <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language" >Greek</a> verb <b>gnόsko</b>"γνώσκω" meaning 'learning' (noun: <i>gnόsis</i> "γνώσις" = knowledge), so broadly, 'to conceptualize' or 'to recognize'.
It refers to a faculty for the processing of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information" title="Information" >information</a>, applying knowledge, and changing preferences. Cognition, or cognitive processes, can be natural or artificial, conscious or unconscious. These processes are analyzed from different perspectives within different contexts, notably in the fields of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics" title="Linguistics" >linguistics</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anesthesia" title="Anesthesia" >anesthesia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurology" title="Neurology" >neurology</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychiatry" title="Psychiatry" >psychiatry</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" title="Psychology" >psychology</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy" title="Philosophy" >philosophy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology" title="Anthropology" >anthropology</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemics" title="Systemics" >systemics</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science" title="Computer science" >computer science</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creed" title="Creed" >creed</a>. Within psychology or philosophy, the concept of cognition is closely related to abstract <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept" title="Concept" >concepts</a> such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind" title="Mind" >mind</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence" title="Intelligence" >intelligence</a>, cognition is used to refer to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_function" title="Mental function" class="mw-redirect" >mental functions</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought" title="Thought" >mental processes</a> (thoughts) and states of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence" title="Intelligence" >intelligent</a> entities (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human" title="Human" >humans</a>, collaborative groups, human organizations, highly autonomous machines and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence" title="Artificial intelligence" >artificial intelligences</a>).</p>