Uses for cognitive processes

Here are some common uses of different cognitive processes:

Learning

You can learn through the use of many cognitive processes, such as memory, thought
and perception. Combining multiple processes can allow you to learn more quickly and
retain more information. For example, reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking
about a language can help you learn one much faster than any of those processes
alone.

Related: Cognitive Skills: What They Are and How to Improve Them

Communication

Humans communicate through the use of every type of unconscious and conscious
cognitive process. For instance, a conversation may require you to think about what you
are saying, remember information about the conversation, speak using language,
perceive the other person's words and use attention to remain focused on the
conversation. If you can do each of these things, conversations may be more cognitively
engaging and rewarding.

Analysis

Humans can analyze their surroundings and arrive at conclusions. Analyzing stimuli
often involves using perceptions, thoughts and memory. For example, analyzing the
best path to take through a forest may require you to look at signs, think about the
direction you are going and attempt to remember how you went through last time.

Meaning

Deriving meaning from the world requires extensive use of cognitive processes. You
may choose what brings meaning to your life, but arriving at that choice involves the
conscious use of cognition to connect certain actions, ideas and philosophies
meaningfully. For instance, if you derive joy and meaning from helping other people,
you may consciously work to act in ways that continue to help others.

Related: Cognitive Learning: Definition, Benefits and Examples

Examples of cognitive processes

Here are some examples of situations where you might use cognitive processes:

Dreaming
When humans dream, they often have active sensory perceptions that include
depictions of real-world and imagined scenarios. We may create such scenarios from
our memories, or there may be another source for the information that we perceive
during dreams. Brain scans show that humans' brains are quite active during REM
sleep, the stage of sleep where dreams occur.

Driving

Driving is an example of procedural knowledge, which is cognition that occurs with no

conscious recall. Another example of procedural knowledge is riding a bike. You
perceive stimuli while driving, such as seeing other cars on the road, but once you are
good at driving, you store the actions in another unconscious part of the brain that
automatically activates when you start your car.

Reading a book

Human brains can create expansive worlds that exist only within the confounds of our
minds, especially when we read books. You translate sensory information from your
eyes into thoughts and memories, which can allow you to visualize the setting and plot
of the book, and understand symbols and themes. For instance, you may imagine what
characters may look like when they are interacting and the scenery surrounding the
protagonist throughout their journey.

Related: The Importance of Cognitive Ability in Your Career

Doing homework

Doing homework is an example of cognition that relies on conscious thought, attention

and memory. Recalling information learned during class and reading provided materials
to learn more about school subjects are all intensive uses of cognition. For instance,
you may remember how to solve a math problem, but read a portion of your textbook in
order to double-check your answer.