Understanding the Key Differences between Cognition and Thinking
As humans, we use our minds for countless daily activities like decision-making, problem-solving, and communication. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the terms cognition and thinking are often used interchangeably. However, while these concepts may seem similar on the surface, there are crucial differences to understand. In this article, we’ll delve deeper to explore these differences and why they matter.
Cognition: An Overview
Cognition refers to the overall mental process of gaining knowledge and understanding of the world around us. It encompasses different aspects such as perception, attention, memory, language, and problem-solving. Therefore, it’s a broad concept that considers how the brain uses different cognitive skills to process and understand external stimuli.
Thinking: An Overview
Thinking, on the other hand, refers to the process of actively using cognitive skills to make judgments, decisions, and draw conclusions. It can be seen as a subset or component of cognition. The thinking process can be either conscious or subconscious and involves various cognitive skills, including reasoning, analyzing, and evaluating information.
Differences between Cognition and Thinking
While both cognition and thinking are essential for our cognitive functioning, there are key differences between the two.
Cognition is more passive while thinking is more active
Cognition refers to the overall mental process of acquiring knowledge, which includes passing stimuli received from our environment through our brain for processing. In this sense, the cognition process can be seen as a passive activity. In contrast, thinking is an active process that involves analyzing and processing information consciously or subconsciously.
Thinking involves higher-order cognitive skills
Thinking involves using higher-order cognitive skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and creating. These skills involve more complex cognitive processes than the basic cognitive processes such as attention, perception, and memory that are usually associated with cognition.
Cognition is necessary for thinking, but thinking doesn’t always require cognition
Cognition provides the foundation for thinking. The cognitive skills such as perception, memory, and language used in the cognition process provide the raw material for thinking. However, thinking can be done without necessarily involving the cognitive skills associated with the cognition process. For instance, we can think about abstract concepts or hypothetical situations that we’ve never experienced.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cognition and thinking are two concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct differences that are vital to understand. Understanding these differences can help us optimize our cognitive functioning and become better problem-solvers and decision-makers. By appreciating the active nature of thinking and the importance of higher-order cognitive skills as part of the thinking process, we can broaden our cognitive horizons and succeed in various aspects of life.
