Skip to main content

Synonyms

Cognition; Cognitive abilities; Intelligence; Mental functioning; Neuropsychological function; Thought

Definition

Cognitive function is a broad term that refers to mental processes involved in the acquisition of knowledge, manipulation of information, and reasoning. Cognitive functions include the domains of perception, memory, learning, attention, decision making, and language abilities.

Description

Classical models of human cognition have been conceptualized by cognitive scientists within an information processing paradigm. This approach is grounded by a computational metaphor which draws an analogy between mental operations with the functioning of a computer. Although the central nervous system is recognized as the mechanism underpinning cognition under this approach, a distinction between the brain and cognition is likened to the relation between computer hardware (often referred to as “wetware”) and computer software. Historically, two competing information processing...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 6,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 9,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baltes, P. B., Staudinger, U. M., & Lindenberger, U. (1999). Lifespan psychology: Theory and application to intellectual functioning. Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 471–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, S., Samsi, K., Petrie, C. D., Alvir, J., Treglia, M., Schwam, E. M., & del Valle, M. (2009). What do we know about quality of life in dementia? A review of the emerging evidence on the predictive and explanatory value of disease specific measures of health related quality of life in people with dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvo, P., & Gomila, A. (2009). Handbook of cognitive science: An embodied approach. San Diego: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, J. B. (1993). Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytical studies. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fray, P. J., Robbins, T. W., & Sahakian, B. J. (1996). Neuropsychiatyric applications of CANTAB. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 11, 329–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, P. M. (2007). Functional plasticity in cognitive aging: Review and hypothesis. Neuropsychology, 21, 657–673.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, J. L., & Cattell, R. B. (1967). Age differences in fluid and crystallized intelligence. Acta Psychologica, 26, 107–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurt, C. S., Banerjee, S., Tunnard, C., Whitehead, D. L., Tsolaki, M., Mecocci, P., Kloszewska, I., Soininen, H., Vellas, B., & Lovestone, S. (2010). Insight, cognition and quality of life in Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 81, 331–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenberger, E. O., & Kaufman, A. S. (2009). Essentials of WAIS-IV assessment. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKennell, A. C. (1978). Cognition and affect in perceptions of well-being. Social Indicators Research, 5, 389–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, A. J., Kemp, S., Benito-León, J., & Reuber, M. (2010). The influence of cognitive impairment on health-related quality of life in neurological disease. Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 22, 2–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naughton, M. J., & Shumaker, S. A. (2003). The case for domains of function in quality of life assessment. Quality of Life Research, 12, 73–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salthouse, T. A. (2005). Relations between cognitive abilities and measures of executive functioning. Neuropsychology, 19, 532–545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salthouse, T. A., Toth, J. P., Hancock, H. E., & Woodard, J. L. (1997). Controlled and automatic forms of memory and attention: Process purity and the uniqueness of age-related influences. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 52, P216–P228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, Y. (2009). Cognitive reserve. Neuropsychologia, 47, 2015–2028.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, E., Sherman, E. M. S., & Spreen, O. (2006). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: administration, norms, and commentary (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kim M. Kiely .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Kiely, K.M. (2014). Cognitive Function. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_426

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics