Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Probably, most of you have discussed whether your friend or neighbor can be called a smart person. After this question, as a rule, a discussion begins, but by what criteria, in fact, to judge?

Smart is someone who has a large amount of knowledge? But he is simply a carrier of information, and may not use it in practice and in life.

When scientists try to define intelligence, they always talk about cognitive abilities human- cognitive functions. What are they, how to develop them, and what to do in case of a "breakdown"? We will understand and become smarter for our friend.

Cognitive functions, abilities and processes

Cognitive functions are the processes in the brain that are involved in our exploration of the environment.

The information that comes through our analyzers is processed. We translate it into knowledge. They are stored in memory, accumulate over time, becoming life experiences.

Cognitive ability is:

1. Attention;
2. memory;
3. thinking;

If a person throughout his life develops these cognitive characteristics, then it can be considered smart and intelligent.

Since he is able to perceive information from different sources in a large volume and for a long time; remembers it, reproduces it; draws conclusions; It has logical thinking; can present the most vivid images based on what they see or hear.

How to develop cognitive thinking

Immediately after birth, the child begins to perceive and explore the world. But he does it at his own level, depending on his age and whether his parents are involved with him.

There are two types of cognitive thinking:

1. Visual and effective(up to 3 years) - the child examines everything around, tries to touch, sometimes even tries to lick. That is, it uses all the simplest ways to learn about the objects around. The role of mom and dad at this stage is to show the child various interesting objects, name them, tell in plain language about their properties and method of application, let them study for themselves.
2. Visual-figurative(up to 7 years) - the child learns to complete tasks, solve tasks using logic. Parents should play with him in developing games for fine motor skills, memory, attention and imagination. Also teach the rules of behavior, which also develops cognitive thinking.
3. abstract(after 7) - the student learns to understand, imagine, which cannot be seen or touched.

But what is an adult to do? Is it possible that the level of development of memory or thinking that is on this moment – this is the limit? No, even in your 40s or 60s, you can continue to exercise your cognitive abilities.

Love for the knowledge of the surrounding world and oneself contribute to the improvement of these functions of the brain.

1. Learn a foreign language.
2. Choose a different route to get to work or school.
3. Do the usual things with the other hand (for right-handers - left, for left-handers - right).
4. Solve crossword puzzles.
5. Draw even if you don't know how. Make it harder: take pencils in both hands and continue to depict something.
6. Speak out loud or to yourself different words vice versa.
7. If you need to calculate simple equations, do it in your head, without the help of a calculator and paper.
8. In order to train your memory, you need to remember in detail how the whole day went before going to bed. You can also reproduce an autobiography from childhood itself. Or in reverse order: from today to the moment when they crawled on the floor for a toy. You can remember just in your head, or by telling someone, or writing in a notebook.
9. Watch various films and read books, of course.
10. There are many applications in our smartphones that are directly aimed at the development of certain cognitive functions.

Cognitive Impairments and Disorders

How more people is engaged in intellectual development, the more connections arise between neurons, which also, in turn, develop. It creates cognitive reserve.

If some part of the brain ceases to function adequately due to injury or aging, then another part will fail to perform important functions.

An experiment was conducted at Harvard where 824 people were observed over the years. They were social security and intellectual development.

The result showed that people who actively developed their cognitive abilities were able to think logically in old age, remember the smallest details, and behave adequately.

cognitive disorders possible for the following reasons:

1. injury;
2. infectious diseases of other systems, in which toxins are released and cells are damaged nervous system(syphilis);
3. oncological formations;
4. diabetes;
5. stroke;
6. aging.

Depending on what served as a factor in the occurrence of dysfunction, there will be different symptoms. and cognitive deficits. Let's look at an example.

Dementia that appears after age 65 is called Alzheimer's disease. The main symptom is the development of forgetfulness. In the future, memory deterioration progresses to the point that a person may not remember his name and where he lives. Also, problems with orientation in space begin. Therefore, these patients need constant supervision.

Speech is broken. It is difficult for a person to pronounce words, repeats them. Then there are problems with logical thinking, which is also noticeable when talking with the patient. They become angry at everything around, very sensitive and whiny.

Vascular dementia develops due to insufficient blood circulation in the brain, ischemia, strokes. Memory impairment does not come to the fore, as in Alzheimer's. Immediately noticeable decrease in attention, its concentration. It is difficult for patients to distinguish similarities and differences between objects, slow thinking, and it is difficult to pronounce words.

Treatment is prescribed only after a thorough diagnosis of the cause. If this is a consequence of such diseases as infectious, oncological, diabetes, then the therapy is aimed at getting rid or correcting the underlying disease.

In Alzheimer's disease, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are chosen. In case of vascular disorders, doctors' attention is directed to improving blood circulation: phosphodiesterase inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, a2-adrenergic receptor blockers.

To improve the state of intelligence in diseases, drugs with metabolic and antioxidant properties are often used. Experiments have also proven the positive effect of nootropics. But it is worth remembering that they help only when there is a problem. Do not improve cognitive abilities in healthy people.

Cognitive distortions (dissonance)

Not just a tricky phrase that only applies to scientists and professors. We ourselves in Everyday life often encounter this.

This is the state in which there are contradictions:

1. knowledge;
2. opinions;
3. beliefs.

During cognitive distortion, a person experiences confusion, anxiety, awkwardness, feelings of shame and guilt, or even anger - psychological discomfort. For example, there is a beggar in a pedestrian crossing who you have given some money to. She reaches for them, and an expensive watch is shown on her hand.

You are confused at first because you thought the person needed financial support. And it turns out that he can be richer than you yourself. At first you find yourself in a stupor, which can then turn into aggression, because you were fooled.

arises for these reasons.:

1. the discrepancy between a person's knowledge of an object, phenomenon, other people and really what they are;
2. the discrepancy between the acquired experience and the situation, which was repeated, only in a different way;
3. inconsistency of personal opinion with the point of view of others, which pops up randomly;
4. maintaining traditions and beliefs, if you yourself do not sincerely honor and believe them;
5. logical inconsistency of facts.

What to do if this incomprehensible cognitive dissonance happened to you? First you need to reduce the significance of this state. After all, there is an explanation for everything, which is simply not available to you at the moment.

To do this, you need to look for new information about subject of cognitive distortion. Study in more detail, or talk about it with other people. Perhaps you just had a small piece of knowledge, and there was a great opportunity to expand it.

Not worth having very shackled beliefs. You must absorb and notice information of various formats, study everything around. With such an approach to life, it is unlikely that something can surprise or greatly offend. Just stumble upon new knowledge that you immediately take note of.

cognitive psychology

In psychotherapy, there are many directions that are individually selected for the client, depending on his personality type and the current problem. One of the commonly used methods is cognitive behavioral therapy.

The essence of the direction lies in the fact that the cause of the problem, most likely, is in the person himself, and not in the world around him. In his thinking in particular.

Therefore, the psychologist, together with the client, is trying to study it, to find out on what statements it is built and what experience formed the basis of the problem.

Psychotherapist finds a false setting, which causes negative feelings in a person, a feeling of impossibility to overcome the existing difficulties. And shows it from the side. Explains why it is wrong and how to think more effectively. But at the same time, the specialist does not impose his position in life.

Cognitive Therapy suitable for such situations:

1. obsessive-compulsive disorders;
2. eating disorder (,);
3. mild depression;
4. relationship difficulties;
5. addiction.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages site

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For ordinary person the concept is habitual - mental or intellectual development, and not everyone will answer what cognitive means. Cognitive is a cognitive process in which the consciousness processes incoming information, its mental transformation into knowledge, storage and use of accumulated experience in everyday life.

Cognitive Research

What is the cognitive abilities of people, the topic is of interest to psychologists, sociologists, linguists, philosophers. Cognitive research in various fields of science helps to understand and study the following processes:

• human knowledge of the world;
• the influence of language and culture on a personal picture of the world (subjective);
• what is the conscious and the unconscious and how is it related to brain activity;
• which cognitive abilities are innate and which are acquired in different age periods;
• what does the cognitive abilities of artificial intelligence mean (is it possible to create an artificial intelligence in the future that is not inferior to the human one).

Cognitive Psychotherapy

Cognitive therapy is aimed at eliminating errors in thinking and changing illogical thoughts and beliefs into new, constructive ones. During a psychotherapy session, the cognitive psychologist pays full attention to what the client says, how he expresses his thoughts. The method of cognitive therapy was discovered by A. Beck, who successfully applied it to many patients suffering from depression and affective disorders.

cognitive thinking

Cognitive abilities of the brain are mental functions high order Keywords: attention, gnosis, perception, speech, praxis, intellect. Thinking is one of the most important cognitive processes, divided into three types:

• visual-effective (predominant in children under 3 years old) - solving specific problems, cognition and analysis of objects through manipulations with hands.
• visual-figurative - is formed from 4 to 7 years. Solving problems by using mental images.
• abstract - operating with abstract concepts that are difficult to imagine.

Development of cognitive abilities

How to develop cognitive abilities at any age? Normal human development involves interest, curiosity and the desire for development - this is inherent in nature, so it is important to maintain this and be in a state of constant interest in the world and what is happening around. From the very moment of birth, the cognitive (cognitive) abilities of the child need to be developed - this should become one of the important tasks of parents.

Development of cognitive abilities in adults

Improvement in cognitive abilities is possible at different ages, and it must be approached in the right way, using a creative approach so that it does not seem like a chore. By discovering the exploratory spirit in oneself, a person improves his worldview, mood and helps the development of higher mental functions, which include cognitive abilities. Simple recommendations of psychologists for productive brain activity:

• brush your teeth with your left hand (left-handers - right);
• choosing a new route when going to work;
• choose your option of physical activity;
• start learning a foreign language;
• solving crossword puzzles, riddles, charades;
• a few minutes a day to do simple things with your eyes closed;
• develop intuition;
• give up junk food in favor of a healthy diet.

Development of cognitive abilities in children

Cognitive skills are important to develop from infancy. The modern choice of educational toys for children is huge, but do not neglect the tools at hand that are in every home. Cognitive abilities in young children can be developed in the following ways:

• games with cereals and buttons (under the strict supervision of adults) - pouring from container to container);
• a variety of finger games with nursery rhymes and jokes (“magpie-crow”, “finger-finger where have you been”);
• games with water (bottling).

Gradually, games and activities become more complex and are aimed at developing motor skills and speech:

• drawing and coloring;
• drawing up puzzles, mosaics;
• cutting the image along the contour;
• construction;
• memorization of verses;
• reading and retelling;
• finding differences in two identical images;
• writing stories.

Exercises for the development of cognitive abilities

Cognitive training is the key to productive longevity and a clear mind, even in old age. The brain needs the same exercise as the body, it is important to spend 15-20 minutes a day on simple, but very useful exercises for brain activity:

1. Synchronized drawing. You will need a sheet of paper and 2 pencils. Draw geometric shapes with both hands at the same time. You can start with the same shapes for each hand, then complicate the exercise, for example, draw a square with your left hand, and a triangle with your right. Exercise balances the work of both hemispheres of the brain, develops cognitive abilities, motor skills.
2. The words are the opposite. Several times during the day, try to pronounce the words you heard from other people to yourself in reverse.
3. Calculation. Everything that is to be counted is important to do through mental mental calculations. Put the calculator away.
4. Autobiography. There are 2 options for the exercise. In the first, a person begins to remember and write from the present moment, and deepens year after year towards his early childhood. In the second version, childhood is first described.

Loss of cognitive abilities

Cognitive functions and abilities deteriorate with age, this is due to age-related changes, but more often this happens due to comorbidities and an unhealthy lifestyle. At the first symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor for maintenance therapy. Causes of cognitive impairment:

• violation of homeostasis and metabolism;
• obesity;
• type I and II diabetes;
• hypothyroidism;
• arterial hypertension (hypertension);
• violation of cerebral circulation;
• myocardial infarction;
• traumatic brain injury;
• alcohol and drug use;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• Parkinson's disease.

Classification of cognitive impairment:

1. Mild cognitive impairment - test scores and psychometrics may be normal or there may be slight deviations. A person begins to complain of problems with memory, rapid fatigue, attention also suffers at the same time - concentration decreases.
2. Moderate cognitive impairment - about 15% of this form of impairment is further transformed into Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia. Symptoms are increasing: deterioration of thinking, memory and speech.
3. Severe cognitive impairment. They appear after 60 - 65 years of age. A pronounced clinical picture, symptoms characteristic of dementia (dementia). A person ceases to navigate in space, falls into a "childish" age. People with severe cognitive impairment need constant care and drug therapy.

Cognitive abilities

In terms of cognitive abilities, there is a well-founded scheme that can be used to characterize a person. On the most general level in this scheme lies the general intellect, or factor, sometimes called the general mental faculties. The need to introduce such a concept as general intelligence was revealed many years ago, when researchers needed to describe the mental abilities of a person. At the beginning of our century, when the results of performing a wide range of intellectual tasks were compared, it became clear that people who successfully performed one type of task (for example, tasks with words), as a rule, performed well on other tasks, even obviously different ones (for example, , with numbers or figures). Other s./yuvama and it turned out that there are some general information processing abilities that are not completely specific to this type of information being processed. Yet it was also clear that, to some extent, people showed different strengths and weaknesses when processing different types information; thus, some were good at tasks with numbers, while others coped better with verbal material.

A theory to explain these results was originally proposed by Bert (Bint, 1940) and developed by Vernon (1961). In this theory, both general intelligence and specific factors matter (Figure 2.1). Similar research results allowed Sergemson to propose a theory of two factors

28 ■ Chapter 2. Differences between people

structures of intelligence (Spearman, 1927). Essentially, in theory, it was assumed that there is a factor of general intelligence - a factor g, as well as a range of specific factors that together explain general ability people to process information, as well as the differentiation of their abilities in various specific areas. General intelligence (g) defines the correlation that exists between the performance of different types of tasks, while more specific abilities explain the fact that no one can do all tasks equally well or equally badly. General intelligence occupies the highest level of the hierarchy, which also includes several levels of specific factors. The performance of mental (cognitive) tasks is determined by a combination of g and factors located in the diagram below it. This structure of human cognitive abilities turned out to be very viable and is still used as a base in applied psychology, especially by psychologists working in the personnel field.

There are other approaches to human intellectual functions. One of the most recognized alternative approaches emphasizes that in order to deal intelligently with everyday life, a person needs to successfully solve problems that are very different from the relatively well-defined and purely intellectual tasks that make up a typical test of intelligence level. Stenberg and Wagner (1986) and others use the term "practical intelligence" to refer to the type of thinking required to function in everyday life. Organizing an informal or professional event, choosing and buying the best of many products, planning a trip are all examples of activities that require intellectual behavior. The required behavior is widely varied and is associated with social and emotional factors. One of the most important characteristics of practical thinking is that it is inextricably linked to everyday experience and plays an important role in solving the problems of everyday life (Scribner, 1986). It is directly opposite in nature to the abstract and isolated tasks included in typical intelligence tests (Fig. 2.2).

Supporters of the theory of practical intelligence argue that the type of thinking necessary in real life, some fundamentally important characteristics are inherent that cannot be determined using written tests. Probably this point of view

Individual differences ■ 29

Practical Intelligence 1 Intelligence Tests

Give the client change Arithmetic operations

Gathering the Components Anticipating the Next Element

Taking inventory in sequence

Rice. 2.2. Practical intelligence versus intelligence tests

and justified to some extent, but it is important to note that there is a strong relationship between the results of psychometric testing of cognitive abilities and various aspects everyday behavior. For example, in the professional field, as evidenced by numerous and very convincing empirical data, test scores mental abilities correlate well with the overall professional excellence in many fields of activity. These studies will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.

The existence of standardized psychometric tests that determine the factor and its subfactors, such as spatial reasoning, computational or verbal abilities, is one of the main advantages of the traditional approach to the structure of human cognitive abilities. These standardized tests form the basis for assessing a person's cognitive abilities, and there is, as already noted, a close relationship between the results of these tests and indicators of professional behavior. Tests have been developed to determine how general intelligence (g) as well as most subfactors. In the UK, there are several specialized companies that publish psychological tests, and each of them has a very wide range of tests. In other words, there is more than one test for every aspect of cognitive ability. The development, publication, and marketing of psychological tests has been a highly significant commercial activity. Most psychological testing companies also offer other services, including training and counseling by highly qualified licensed psychologists.

1 Sternberg's famous three-part aptitude test (STAT) measures three main components of intelligent information processing - analytical, creative and practical. - Note. scientific ed.

30 ■ Chapter 2. Differences between people

labor. In the UK, the provision of their services is overseen by the British Psychological Society. (BPS) and they are required to follow a code of professional conduct. The majority of companies that publish tests also teach how to use the tests in accordance with the requirements. bps, and thus not only professional psychologists may be able to use and interpret some psychological tests.

What is cognitive ability

Probably, you often thought or entered into a discussion about what intelligence is and how to determine which person is smarter. We already clearly understand that a large amount of knowledge does not allow us to judge a strong intellect. This indicates erudition, a large base of learned information. Such people may achieve incredible success, or they may not achieve anything. Therefore, if a person can be said to be smart, then it means, first of all, his developed cognitive abilities.

It should immediately be noted that scientists do not have a clear point of view on what cognitive abilities are. For example, the ability to manage your emotions is not one of them, so this skill should be developed separately. This is emotional intelligence, which, however, is associated with cognitive abilities in view of the characteristics of our body.

So, what can be attributed to cognitive abilities?

Now imagine a person who has mastered all these abilities. Can he be called smart and very talented? Undoubtedly. Such a person is able to memorize a lot of information, or decide what to remember and what not. He knows how to concentrate and does not waste time returning to this state again and remembering where he left off. He knows how to perceive and read information from the world or people's behavior and draw the right conclusions. Can think logically and creatively at the same time. He makes firm decisions that end up in the right actions.

That is why cognitive abilities are more important than any other. They are the very basis on which you can fully realize yourself in life. You can improve your memory, attention and concentration by taking this course.

Almost everyone can develop these abilities. There are exercises that can improve any of these skills. Better yet, mastering one skill has a positive impact on others. For example, concentration is associated with improved memory. And memory improvement is closely intertwined with the development of creative thinking, because it forms tens and hundreds of associations in the head regarding any word, image or even sound.

If all these skills are sufficiently developed, then a person can enter a state called flow. In it, he remains mentally in the present moment, all his cognitive abilities are incredibly increased, and especially concentration. Everything works out for him, he knows or feels what needs to be done in order to achieve a result. There are people who have learned to stay in this state 24 hours a day. For example, Richard Branson, British billionaire. The level of his perception is simply amazing: he looks at the world and sees only possibilities.

Speaking about information, it must be said that, of course, knowledge is necessary. Even with its accessibility in the age of the Internet, curiosity and erudition are indicators of an interesting and extraordinary person. After all, if you do not know anything and do not have any information, then your decisions will be quite primitive. Therefore, in addition to developing cognitive skills, you need to strive to acquire new knowledge in order to use it, mixing, changing and getting something new and unusual. By taking a course on the development of creative thinking, you will learn this.

Below we present to your attention a list of books aimed at developing your cognitive abilities.

• Harry Lorraine "Development of memory and the ability to concentrate"
• Eberhard Heule "The Art of Concentration: How to Improve Your Memory in 10 Days"
• Dmitry Gusev " Short Course logic: the art of correct thinking"
• Michael Mikalko "Rice Storm and 21 More Ways to Think Outside the Box"
• Dmitry Chernyshev "How people think"
• Frans Johansson "The Medici Effect"
• Peter Bregman "18 minutes"

These books present a variety of ways to develop cognitive abilities. So it's not worth reading just for fun. Practice with a piece of paper and a pen.

There are tons of apps online that are designed to improve your brain function. Here are the most interesting ones.

Their main advantage is that if you have a smartphone, you can perform exercises wherever you are. Also, all these applications keep detailed statistics. You will be able to track your results and visually see the progress. Remember that you will ideally need to do this every day. Even if time is short, set aside at least a minute every day.

If there is only one ability that will bring the greatest benefit to your brain, then this is concentration. It is she who “pulls up” all other cognitive skills. There are two simple games that help a lot with this. These are "Numbers" and "Schulte Tables".

Are you interested in developing cognitive abilities in practice? Then the course "Cognitive Science: The Development of Thinking" is for you. Join now!

Cognitive abilities, or a little bit about practical intelligence

How many copies are broken due to different definitions of intelligence! And the thing is that the classical IQ only tells how difficult academic tasks in ideal conditions can be solved by a person. And success in life is connected mainly with the so-called practical intelligence. These nuances are studied by scientists who study cognitive abilities.

Approximately half of all people

What is practical intelligence and why is it so important? Absolutely every mentally healthy person has tremendous adaptability. True, they manifest themselves in different ways. Only 8 psychotypes out of 16 are capable of classical adaptation due to academic intelligence, and even then with varying degrees of success, depending on individual, rather than typical characteristics.

What do the eight other psychotypes do? They master the area like a foreign language, that is, it is difficult and slow. But the main adaptation mechanisms are the use of conjecture, strong-willed qualities, social connections, manipulation emotional states. Of course, not every profession allows such behavior, but people of "non-academic" types usually do not choose very complex intellectual specialties.

Describing cognitive abilities, it is necessary to focus on the most relevant definition of intelligence. This is not at all the ability to find the right picture for a puzzle, to pick up a number after 10 operations in the mind, or the ability to find a capacious and relevant word. Cognitive abilities are the ability to adapt to a new situation and solve objectively and subjectively new tasks for the psyche.

Mental Threshold

Also, such a definition of intelligence makes it a variable quantity. Which is very, very optimistic. Although. practice shows that even solving problems for a classical, supposedly unchangeable IQ, can be learned. So this is not a constant factor, and even more so - not a predictor life success. A person's cognitive abilities simply have to pass a certain threshold, after which, subject to motivation and concentration, a person has a chance of success. It has been calculated that a factor of 120 is quite enough to defend a doctoral dissertation. Which is not something sky-high, there are usually a couple of people of this level in every grade of high school.

Cognitive ability is a very vague term. And it arose because of the desire to find an algorithm, thanks to which it is possible to determine how promising this or that student is. But it turned out that graduates of the same American university, as a rule, are equally successful. Regardless of their academic performance, which is really related to academic endowment.

Cognitive development is recommended to be planned according to the specific skills you need. That is, the human psyche is very specific. Contrary to popular belief, success in chess does not automatically lead to advantages in other types of algorithmic work. Skills from one area to another are extremely poorly transferred. Therefore, it makes sense to immediately learn what you need. And do not bet on the overall development.

Human cognitive abilities. What's this?

The word "cognitive" is considered to be a scientific term, this term is rarely found in everyday communication between people. But it denotes the well-known abilities of a person. These abilities connect people with the outside world and contribute to the formation of ideas about it.

Cognitive functions include:

Attention is the maintenance of the level of mental activity that is obligatory for cognition.

Perception - the construction of images and ideas about something based on the information received.

Gnosis is the ability to recognize formed images that a person refers to the categories of the mind.

Memory - the ability to store and subsequently reproduce the information received.

Intelligence is the product of actions with the information received, thanks to memory (analysis, evaluation, generalization, solving certain problems).

Speech is the ability to communicate using a symbolic sign system such as language.

Praxis - the ability to form and include in the activity of motor skills, as well as the construction, memorization and automation of a sequence of movements.

All abilities are directly related to the activity provided by the human brain, they are dependent on the holistic state of the body. When the development of the brain is disturbed, certain damage or malfunctions caused by diseases or emotional upheavals pass. When the development of the brain is impaired, the quality of cognitive functions is significantly reduced. A significant decrease in the quality of cognitive functions is commonly called a cognitive disorder.

Cognitive impairments have a negative impact on a person's life achievements in household, professional, educational or social activities.

Thanks a lot! For a long time I could not understand what it was. I often heard about cognitive abilities on Discovery and could not figure it out. Developed a bit of cognition in myself too :)))

10 Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Ability

The process of thinking is an integral part of our life. In situations where you need to quickly learn the material or think through the project in detail, you want everything to happen quickly and efficiently. There are several ways that improve human cognitive abilities.

A large amount of coffee harms the body, but researchers have found that caffeine does more than just keep you awake. It can help you focus on difficult tasks, increases the efficiency of mental activity, improves reaction. Coffee does not make a person smarter, this drink only temporarily improves brain function.

Norwegian scientists have found that people who regularly drink wine perform better on cognitive tasks than those who give up alcohol. This relationship is especially pronounced among women. Of course, wine can only help if the amount is strictly limited. It is assumed that the characteristics of this drink are based on the antioxidant properties of wine.

The study found that people who had high levels of vitamin D in their bodies performed better on control tests than those who were deficient in this element. Vitamin D is formed under the action of sunlight.

Dancing and outdoor activities reduce the risk of dementia. In addition, these types of activities improve a person’s cognitive abilities and teach them to make quick decisions.

It’s not enough to just eat a product that has received “best” status. In the long term, you need to provide the brain with the necessary vitamins, various elements. The most important thing is to monitor sugar, the presence of amino acids, antioxidants and omega-3s.

Using MRI, it was found that playing Tetris increases the activity of gray matter in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, such an activity helps the mind quickly forget about recent tragedies and problems.

Studies have shown that athletes perform much better on cognitive tasks than non-athletes. Regular walks on the street are enough to increase brain performance by 10%.

In certain situations, it is really necessary to fully concentrate on the task and not stop to rest. Researchers have found that people who allow themselves to take breaks while working have a much better memory than those who work without rest. It’s enough just to break away from work and think about something else.

Temporarily stop eating

While a proper and balanced diet is essential in the long run, short-term food avoidance can help improve brain performance quickly. Researchers believe it's evolved - we work better when the brain thinks it's undernourished.

Scientists came to the conclusion that when searching for a thing, you need to say its name aloud, as this allows you to find the desired item much faster.

on NS on Facebook

Many often experience a short-term "flow". However, few people know that it can also be long-term. Checked, the state of long-term "flow" is a reality. I think that it is better to direct the forces of people to the study of this phenomenon, and ways to enter into it. This is a way to radically increase the "efficiency of mankind." M. Csikszentmihalyi describes only a short-term flow, and his recommendations are not focused on a strong and long-term version of the flow state, which can last for years.

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Cognitive abilities are the most important functions of the human brain

Cognitive functions of the brain - what is it? Speaking of cognitive science, it should be noted that this is a relatively young direction in science and the date of its birth is conventionally considered to be 1956.

Cognitive psychology reflects a view of a person as a computer, which at that time appeared and began to spread.

In short, a person is a whole information system which processes information in many different ways (cognition).

Conscious thinking, being one of the ways, is not considered the main cognition. In addition to it, there are such important ones as images, emotions, attention, memory, imagination and many others.

What is the cognitive realm? Learn about it from our article.

Definition of the term

Cognitive functions of the brain - functions that allow a person to carry out information cognition.

Thanks to them, a person receives images, ideas, an assessment of the world around him, people, himself and much more.

These functions include attention, visual-spatial perception, memory, understanding, thinking, executive functions (planning actions in accordance with the goal, changing the reaction, etc.).

Simply put, these are the abilities of the brain, thanks to which a person acquires knowledge, skills and abilities.

Mental processes - what are they?

All mental processes that psychologists managed to model were called cognitive. That is, these are processes that lend themselves to logic and comprehension, having an algorithm for processing information.

Processes that could not be modeled were called affective. These include an emotional-sensual attitude to everything.

Definition of concepts

Activity

Activity in cognitive psychology is the ability of the brain to perform the following functions: attention, memory, language, visual-spatial perception and executive functions.

As a result of this activity, a person comes to understand something.

He begins to have an idea about the objects that are included in the human worldview system.

Examples: searching for common elements in different languages; proof of a mathematical pattern, theorem; essay writing.

General psychology. Cognitive Processes: Speech - in this video:

Thinking

Thinking is one of the information processing tools for solving many problems. It is a personal phenomenon, so there are many types of thinking: critical, flexible, masculine, vigorous, arbitrary and, for example, on the contrary, uncritical, feminine, lazy, involuntary, inflexible.

Thinking is mainly engaged in processing the flow of information (thoughts, images, pictures, sounds).

If a person analyzes information, solves mental problems, compares data and determines particular, general, cause and effect, process and result, then his thinking is considered quite meaningful.

Examples: reading this text; any work; any activity and perception of information.

General psychology. Cognitive Functions: Thinking - in this video:

Communication

Communication is, in short, primarily contacts between people.

It is a whole process, which includes the establishment of contact, then its development. Communication is a product of people's need for each other, joint activities.

Within the framework of cognitive psychology, communication is important for us, because in the course of it there is an exchange of information, its cognition. We learn information about the interlocutor, get answers to questions.

Examples: training session; Scientific Conference; press conference.

Memory

Memory is the ability of the brain to record, store and reproduce the necessary information. If we consider memory as a broader concept, then the process of forgetting also belongs to it and is an important part of it.

The peculiarity of memory lies in the fact that its source of development is not inside, but outside, from the outside.

Like other mental processes, memory is formed gradually. A child in the first days of life distinguishes his mother from others, in the future his memory becomes larger and he remembers other people and things around him.

Another feature of memory is its variability. Even though the past is unchangeable, memories can become more and more distorted over the years.

There are many types of memory.

The memory of the eyes is visual; muscle memory - motor; long-term and short-term memory; positive and negative memory; memory of the past and memory of the future; internal and external memory and many other types. One of the most important types of memory is one's own personal experience.

Examples: exam; driving skills; singing songs.

Flexibility

Flexibility in cognitive understanding means the ability of the brain to switch from thought to thought, to think about several thoughts at the same time. Thanks to this, a person adapts to change, which plays a big role in learning and solving complex problems.

Examples: an unexpected change in the schedule of cases; change in taste and style; astronaut tests.

Control

Cognitive control is a set of mental processes for regulating behavior. It is considered one of the perfect mechanisms in the human psyche. Through control, a person builds relationships with other people and the environment, taking into account the needs of the individual.

Potential

Potential is the totality of all available means and opportunities.

The potential of the individual is characterized by internal and external indicators.

Internal indicators include mental health, interests, intelligence, emotional abilities.

External indicators come from internal, the development of which determines the full potential. To external indicators include responsibility, culture, personal freedom, independence.

Examples: presence of etiquette; outstanding results in the music school; dissertation writing.

Tips for improving the cognitive functions of the brain in this video:

Opportunities, skills and abilities of a person - what do they include?

Cognitive (cognitive) abilities (capabilities, skills, abilities) of a person (in addition to those listed above) include:

1. Short-term memory is the storage of all incoming information for a short time.
2. Focused attention is the ability of the brain to focus on something.
3. Spatial perception - the ability to assess the state of things in space and connect them relative to each other.

In addition to these abilities, there are many others (hand-eye coordination, inhibition, evaluation, verbal abilities, etc.).

Cognitive skills acquired in childhood determine the ability to read, count, write, abstract and logical thinking.

These include imitation, the study of objects, understanding cause and effect, the relationship of objects, selection by similarity, naming, and then the ability to read, write and count.

What factors contribute to their decrease and increase?

A negative lifestyle, constant stress, physical overstrain, unhealthy diet, reduced blood circulation and oxygen supply, due to aging, a number of nervous diseases, contribute to a decrease in cognitive abilities.

Physical training (aerobic exercises, strength exercises, dancing), nutrition (water, vitamins, chocolate, milk, etc.), daily routine (sleep, workplace), learning (creativity, foreign languages, oral speech, positive thinking), relaxation (games, meditation), relationships (sex, laughter, communication).

You can learn about what affects cognitive decline in the video:

What is testing for?

Cognitive ability can be measured by a number of tests.

They are needed to determine the level of development of aspects of intelligence and psychomotor functions that ensure effectiveness in specific areas of activity. For each of them there is a separate test.

For example, to determine the level of logical abilities, they give mathematical problems, tasks on analogies, on determining the sequence, on solving problems.

IQ tests measure the ability to analyze, solve problems, reason, cope with a difficult situation, perceive the relationship of things.

But tests of this kind, according to psychologists, measure the overall intellectual potential.

For example, the Attention Distribution and Multitasking test gives an idea of ​​both the overall efficiency of working with several tasks at the same time, and the effectiveness of each individual task. The test is useful for people whose activities require a constant distribution of attention between simple tasks (secretary).

Cognitive psychology considers the human psyche as a system of cognitive operations. It allows for a convenient consideration of the human being as a computer and is on the way to bringing together multiple studies under a single concept.

Cognitive abilities are called mental processes in the human body, which are aimed at receiving and processing information, as well as solving problems and generating new ideas. modern science attaches great importance to the strengthening of these processes.

Today, such a direction as NBIC convergence is rapidly developing. Despite the fact that this term appeared relatively recently, it is quite actively used by scientists around the world. Each letter of the abbreviation is a reflection of one of the four most progressive areas of knowledge: C - cogno, I - info, B - bio, N - nano. According to scientists, the development of these areas will significantly change the better side the life of human civilization in general and of each person in particular.

All these areas are interconnected. The area "info" is considered the most progressive. It is this area that provides methods, models, schemes for studying other areas.

Today, in cognitive psychology, the brain is often compared to a computer. Based on this comparison, the mechanisms of reception and

However, the brain and the computer are quite different. As you know, a machine can work perfectly with given algorithms and limits. The brain can be wrong. In addition, he is prone to restrictions. As scientists have found, short-term and the brain is very limited. So, most people have a volume of five to nine units. This is how many units of information a person can hold in the brain at the same time. According to some reports, the amount of long-term memory is less than 16 GB.

A person also has various kinds of restrictions associated with his life (religion, beliefs, incorrect fixation of a causal relationship, etc.).

With the advent of the first computers in the 60s of the last century, the development of many scientific branches, it became clear that the amount of information is increasing rapidly. However, over the past two millennia, man has not made any special changes in the processes of reception and processing. This can lead to the fact that people simply cannot cope with such a flow of information.

Thus, the development of cognitive abilities today for scientists is one of the main tasks. In this regard, new psychological schemes and methods are being developed. In doing so, researchers seek to find ways to enhance human intelligence and cognitive abilities. There are several methods used for this.

The first consider the ways in which cognitive abilities tend to their maximum naturally. Among these paths, in the first place, of course, healthy lifestyle life. This concept includes a balanced diet, and the intake of multivitamin complexes, and the rejection of bad habits, and physical activity. All of this combined to improve efficiency.

Cognitive abilities can be strengthened through training. These methods include:

Working memory training;

Exercises and tasks aimed at increasing intelligence (IQ).

You can improve memory and increase concentration using nootropic drugs.

The methods by which you can influence cognitive abilities include rest. It should be noted that the majority do not have the concept of "rest" or "relaxation". For many, these words are associated with a trip out of town or watching TV. But under conditions modern life this is not enough, because a person still thinks about problems, trying to find ways to solve problems. And during the rest, the brain should disconnect from problems, stop thinking. In this case, Eastern techniques are used as "relaxation": yoga, meditation, and others.

Do not pursue goals that are easy to achieve. It is worth aiming at what can be done with difficulty, with considerable effort - Albert Einstein

Despite the fact that Einstein was not a neuroscientist, he knew exactly everything when he talked about the ability of a person to achieve something. He intuitively guessed something that we have only been able to confirm with the help of data today, namely: what makes cognitive abilities work at their highest level. Essentially: What doesn't kill you makes you smarter.

Just recently, my teacher told me that people are bad at controlling their intellect. It was genetically incorporated at birth. He explained that efforts made to develop intelligence in children (for example, through programs such as Head Start) met with little success after putting them into practice, and besides, as soon as the "training" was over, they immediately returned to initial low level of cognitive abilities. Indeed, the evidence supported this, and he (along with many other intelligence researchers) concluded that intelligence could not be improved, or at least the changes would not be lasting.

However, I objected.
You see, before starting this phase of my research, I started working as a Behavioral Therapist teaching young children with autism. These children had a range of cognitive impairments - my task was to educate them in areas that were not developed enough to bring them as close as possible to the level of functioning of their peers. In order to achieve the goal, in the course of treatment we used a variety of methods, or Multimodal Education (when using the maximum number of input methods).

One of my first clients was a little boy with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Mental Retardation), a mild form of autism. When we started treatment, we checked his IQ and it turned out to be around 80, which is practically considered mentally retarded. After I worked with him for about three years - individually teaching him in areas such as communication, reading, math, social behavior, play skills, entertainment and recreation - using multimodal methods technologies - he was retested. His IQ was now well over 100 (given that 100 is considered "average", compared to the average citizen). That's a 20 point improvement, more than one level improvement for a child with autism!

This was not the only child who, in front of my eyes, progressed significantly during my medical practice. I've been very fortunate to see so many kids progressing so fast - not miraculously, and even without medication, there's also data to support their progress. I thought - if these children with severe learning disabilities could progress so much and achieve such success in every aspect of cognitive functioning - why can't the average person progress as well? Or even achieve great success, given that he does not have additional problems in terms of autism?

Although the data of early studies did not give very accurate results, I did not give up. I still believed that there was a chance to significantly increase cognitive functioning by providing suitable training- because I saw it with my own eyes when I worked as a doctor.

Then, in 2008, a stunning study was done, Increasing Fluid Intelligence with Short-Term Memory Training, by Jaggi, Bushkul, Jonids, and Perrig. This study was somewhat of a breakthrough for those who research this topic. They were the first to show that it was actually possible to develop intelligence to a sufficiently high level through training. What did they do differently?

The people in Jaggy's study were trained with intensive, multi-modal (visual and auditory input) tasks for short-term memory (n-back task) over time periods of varying lengths, one or two weeks, depending on the group. After this training, they were tested to determine how much they had improved their level. Most likely, one could assume that after training their level increased. But they went even further. They wanted to see if progress could be carried over to a completely different test of cognitive ability, which would be indicators of an increase in absolute cognitive ability. What did they discover?

After short-term memory training, using the n-back test, people were actually able to tolerate a significant increase in the level of a cognitive aspect that is absolutely not related to others. It was a huge event.

What is "Intellect"?

First of all, let me explain what I mean when I say the word "intelligence". To be clear, I'm not just talking about increasing the amount of facts or bits of knowledge you can accumulate, or what is called crystallized intelligence - it's not training in fluency or memorization - in fact, it's almost the opposite. I'm talking about improving your fluid intelligence, or your ability to memorize new information, store it, then use that new knowledge as a basis for solving the next problem or learning another new skill, and so on.

Now, while short-term memory is not synonymous with intelligence, it is very much related to intelligence. To successfully draw an intelligent conclusion, it is quite important to have a good short-term memory. Thus, to maximize the use of intelligence, it is worth significantly improving short-term memory - this is, for example, using the best and most modern parts to help the mechanism work at the highest level.

What can you take away from this? This study has great importance because it was found:

1. Hypothetical intelligence can be trained.
2. Training and subsequent success depend on the dosage, the more you train, the more benefits you get.
3. Everyone can develop their cognitive abilities, regardless of the starting level.
4. Progress can be made by practicing on tasks that don't resemble questions on a test.

How can this research be applied and benefited from?

There is a reason why the n-back task has been so successful in increasing cognitive ability. This training includes the division of attention between competing stimuli, that is, multimodality (one visual stimulus, one auditory stimulus). Here you need to focus on certain details, ignoring inappropriate information, and this helps to improve short-term memory over time, gradually increasing the ability to perceive information effectively in several directions. In addition, the stimulus was constantly switched, so that the phenomenon of "training for test questions" never occurred - each time there was something new. If you have never taken an n-back test, let me tell you about it: it is very difficult. No wonder there are so many cognitive benefits from such an activity.

But let's talk from a practical point of view.
Eventually, the cards in the deck or the sounds in the piece will run out (the experiment lasted 2 weeks), so it's not practical to think that if you want to continuously increase your intelligence throughout your life, then one n-back will be enough. Besides, you will get tired of it and stop doing it. I'm sure that's what I would do. Not to mention the time you spend learning this way - we are all very busy all the time! Thus, we should think about how to model the same types of super-efficient multi-modal brain stimulation techniques that can be used in normal life, and still get the maximum benefit in the growth of cognitive thinking.

So, with all of this in mind, I have developed five basic elements that will help in the development of fluid intelligence, or cognitive ability. As I have already noted, it is impractical to consistently perform the n-back task or variations of it every day for the rest of your life in order to receive cognitive benefits. But what is practical is a lifestyle change that will have the same – and even greater – cognitive benefits. This can be done every day to benefit from intensive all-brain training, and should also translate into benefits for full cognitive functioning.

These five basic principles are:

1. Look for innovation
2. Challenge yourself
3. Think creatively
4. Don't take the easy way
5. Be online

Each of these points is already a great thing in itself, but if you really want to function at the highest possible cognitive level, it is better to do all five points, and as often as possible. In fact, I live by these five principles. If you accept these as fundamental guidelines, then I guarantee that you will make the most of your abilities, surpassing even what you thought you were capable of - all without artificial boost. Great Information: Science confirms these principles with data!

1. Seek innovation

It's no coincidence that geniuses like Einstein were knowledgeable in many fields, or erudite, as we call them. Geniuses are constantly looking for new activities, exploring new areas. This is their personality.

Only one of the "Big Five" traits of the Five Factor Personality Model (Acronym: ODEPR, or Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Pleasantness, and Irritability) is associated with IQ, and that is the Openness to Experience trait. People who have high level Openers, constantly looking for new information, new activities, new things to learn - new experiences, in general.

When you are looking for innovation, several things happen. First of all, you create new synaptic connections with every new activity you participate in. These connections build on each other, increasing the activity of the nervous system, creating more connections so that new connections are created on their basis - thus, learning occurs.

An area of ​​interest in recent research is neural plasticity as a factor in individual differences in intelligence. Plasticity refers to the number of connections made between neurons and how that affects subsequent connections, and how long those connections last. Basically it means how much new information you are able to take in, and whether you are able to store it by making permanent changes in the brain. Constantly exposing yourself directly to new things helps to put the brain in its original state for learning.

Innovation also triggers the production of dopamine (I mentioned this earlier in other posts), which is not only highly motivating, but also stimulates neurogenesis - the creation of new neurons - and prepares the brain for learning. All you have to do is satisfy your hunger.

Excellent condition for learning = New activity-> release of dopamine-> promotes a more motivated state-> which promotes the recruitment and creation of neurons-> neurogenesis can occur + increase in synaptic plasticity (increase in the number of new nerve connections, or learning).

As a follow-up to Jaggy's study, researchers in Sweden found that after 14 hours of short-term memory training for 5 weeks, there was an increase in the amount of dopamine D1 binding potential in the prefrontal and parietal regions of the brain. This particular dopamine receptor, type D1, is associated with nerve cell growth and development, among other things. This increase in plasticity, allowing for greater anchoring of this receptor, is very helpful in maximizing cognitive functioning.

Follow the point at home: Be "Einstein". Always look for new activities for the mind - expand your cognitive horizons. Learn the tool. Take a painting course. Go to the museum. Read about a new field of science. Be addicted to knowledge.

2. Challenge yourself

There is a huge amount of terrible work written and distributed about how to "train the brain" and "become smarter." When I talk about "brain training games", I mean memory games and speed games, the purpose of which is to increase the speed of information processing, etc.; this includes games such as Sudoku, which are advised to play in "free time" (end the oxymoron, given the development of cognitive abilities). I'm going to debunk some of the stuff you've heard about brain training games before. Here's what I'll tell you: They don't work. Individual learning games don't make you smarter - they make you more proficient at brain learning games.

So, they do have a purpose, but the result won't last long. In order to get something out of these types of cognitive activity, one must turn to the first principle of the search for innovation. Once you master one of these cognitive activities in the brain training game, you should move on to the next challenging activity. Do you understand how to play Sudoku? Excellent! Now move on to the next type of stimulating games. There has been research that supports this logic.

A few years ago, scientist Richard Hayer wanted to know if it was possible to significantly increase cognitive ability through intense training in new types of mental activity in a few weeks. They used the video game Tetris as a new activity, and used people who had never played the game before as subjects of study (I know, I know - can you imagine such people exist?!). They found that after training for several weeks on a game of Tetris, the study subjects experienced an increase in cortical thickness as well as an increase in cortical activity, as evidenced by an increase in the amount of glucose used in that area of ​​the brain. Basically, the brain used more energy during that training period, and got fatter - meaning more nerve connections, or new learned experiences - after such intense training. And they became experts at Tetris. Cool, yeah?

Here's the thing: After the initial cognitive spike, they noticed a decrease in both cortical thickness and the amount of glucose used during the task. However, they still played Tetris just as well; their skill did not deteriorate. Brain scans showed less brain activity during the game, instead of an increase as in previous days. Why the decline? Their brains have become more efficient. Once their brain understood how to play Tetris, and really started to understand it, it became too lazy to do something. He didn't have to work as hard to play the game well, so cognitive energy and glucose went in the other direction.

Efficiency is not your friend when it comes to cognitive growth. In order for the brain to continue making new connections and keep them active, you must continue to move on to other stimulating activities once you've reached the peak of mastery in a particular activity. You want to be in a constant state of little embarrassment, struggling to achieve something, no matter what it is, as Einstein noted in his quote. It keeps the brain in limbo, so to speak. We will return to this issue later.

3. Think creatively

When I say that thinking creatively will help you improve your nervous system, I don't mean painting a picture, or doing something fancy, like the first paragraph "Look for innovation." When I talk about creative thinking, I mean direct creative cognition and what it means while the process is going on in the brain.

Contrary to popular belief, creative thinking is not “thinking with the right side of the brain.” Both halves of the brain are involved here, not just the right. Creative cognition includes divergent thinking (a wide range of topics/subjects), the ability to find distant associations with ideas, switch between traditional and non-traditional perspectives (cognitive flexibility), and generate original, fresh ideas that are also relevant to the activity you are doing. To do everything right, you need the right and left hemispheres to work simultaneously and together.

A few years ago, Dr. Robert Sternberg, former Dean of Tufts University, opened the PACE (Psychology of Ability, Competence, and Excellence) Center in Boston. Sternberg tried not only to define the basic concept of intelligence, but also to find ways in which any person can maximize their intelligence through training, and especially through schooling.

Here Sternberg describes the goals of the PACE Center, which was founded at Yale University:
“The main concept of the center is that abilities are not fixed, they are flexible, they can be changed, each person can transform his abilities into his competence, and competence into mastery,” Sternberg explains. “Our focus is on how we can help people change their abilities so that they can better solve problems and cope with the situations they will face in life.”

While doing research, Project Rainbow, he developed not only innovative methods creative classroom learning, but produced assessments that tested students in such a way that they had to approach problem solving in a creative and practical way, as well as analytically, instead of just memorizing facts.

Sternberg explains:
“In Project Rainbow, we valued creative, practical as well as analytical skills. A creative test could be, for example: ‘Here is a cartoon. Give it a name' Practical task could be a movie about a student who comes to a party, looks around, doesn't know anyone, and obviously feels uncomfortable. What should a student do?

He wanted to see if teaching students to think creatively about assignments could make them learn more about a topic, enjoy learning more, and transfer what they learned to other areas of science. He wanted to see if, by changing teaching and assessment methods, it was possible to prevent "learning to take tests" and get students to learn more, in general. He collected information on this topic and still got good results.

Briefly? On average, students in the test group (those who were taught using creative methods) scored higher at the end of their college course than the control group (who were taught using creative methods). traditional methods and evaluation systems). But, to be fair, he gave the test group the same analytical-type exam as the regular students (the multiple-choice test), and they also scored higher on that test. This means that they were able to transfer the knowledge they received using creative, multi-modal learning methods and scored higher on a completely different cognitive test of the same material. Doesn't this remind you of anything?

4. Don't take the easy way

I mentioned earlier that efficiency is not your friend if you are trying to increase your IQ. Unfortunately, many things in life are geared towards increasing efficiency. Thus, we do more with less time, physical and mental effort. However, this does not have a beneficial effect on your brain.

Take one object of modern convenience, GPS. GPS is an amazing invention. I am one of those people for whom GPS was invented. I'm awfully bad at navigating the area. I get lost all the time. So I thanked fate for the advent of GPS. But you know what? After using the GPS for a short time, I found that my sense of direction became even worse. When it wasn't at my fingertips, I felt even more lost than before. So when I moved to Boston - the city where horror movies about the lost come from - I stopped using GPS.

I will not lie - my suffering knew no bounds. My new job meant traveling all over the outskirts of Boston, and I got lost every day for at least 4 weeks. I got lost and wandered so often that I thought that I would lose my job due to chronic lateness (I was even complained about in writing). But over time, I began to find my way, thanks to the vast navigational experience I gained with just my brain and a map. I really began to feel where and what is in Boston thanks solely to logic and memory, and not GPS. I still remember how proud I was that I found a hotel in the city center where my friend was staying, based only on the name and description of the area - even without an address! I felt like I graduated from a navigational education school.

Technology makes our lives easier, faster, more efficient in many ways, but sometimes our cognitive abilities can suffer as a result of this kind of simplification and harm us in the future. Before everyone starts yelling and emailing my transhumanist friends about my sin against technology, I must warn you that this is not what I do at all.

Look at it this way: when you go to work by car, it takes less physical effort, less time, and it is a more convenient and enjoyable way than walking. Everything seems to be fine. But if you only ride or spend your whole life on a segway, not even short distances, then you will not waste energy. Over time, your muscles will atrophy, your physical condition will weaken, and you are likely to gain excess weight. As a result, your general condition will worsen.

Your brain needs exercise too. If you stop using your problem solving skills, your logical, cognitive abilities, then how will your brain always be in the best shape, not to mention improve your mental abilities? Think about the fact that if you constantly rely only on useful modern conveniences, your skills in a certain area may suffer. For example, translation software: great, but my knowledge of languages ​​deteriorated markedly as soon as I started using them. Now I force myself to think of a translation before I know the correct one. The same applies to spell check and automatic correction. In truth, auto-correction is the worst thing that has been invented to improve the thought process. You know the computer will find and correct your mistakes, so you keep typing to yourself without even thinking about it. How to spell a particular word. As a result, after several years of stable autocorrect and automatic spell checking, are we the most illiterate nation? (Wish someone would do some research on this.)

There are times when the use of technology is justified and necessary. But there are times when it's better to say no to simplifications and use your brain while you can afford the luxury of time and energy. In order to keep yourself in good physical shape, it is recommended to walk to work as often as possible or take the stairs instead of the elevator several times a week. Don't you want your brain to stay in shape too? Put the GPS aside from time to time, and do a favor for your navigation and problem-solving skills. Keep it handy, but try to find everything yourself first. Your brain will thank you for this.

5. Be online

And so we come to the last element on the path to increasing your cognitive potential: a computer network. What's great about this last install is that if you're doing the previous four things, you're probably already doing this as well. If not, then start. Immediately.

Communicating with other people, or through social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, or face to face, you expose yourself to situations that will make it much easier for you to achieve goals 1-4. As you encounter new people, new ideas, and new environments, you open yourself up to new opportunities for mental growth. By being around people who may not be in your field, you will be able to see problems from a new perspective or discover new solutions that you have never thought of before. Connecting with other people online is a great way to learn how to open yourself up to new things and perceive unique and meaningful information. I won't even go into the social benefits and emotional well-being of a computer network, but that's just an added benefit.

Stephen Johnson, who wrote How Good Ideas Are Born, discusses the importance of groups and networks in promoting ideas. If you are looking for new situations, ideas, environments and perspectives, then the web is the answer for you. It would be quite difficult to implement the concept of "smarter" without making the network a core component. The great thing about computer networks: Beneficial for everyone involved. Collective intelligence for victory!

I have one more thing to mention...
Remember back at the beginning of this article I told a story about my clients with autism spectrum disorders? Let's think for a moment about how to increase the level of flexibility of your intellect in light of everything that we have already talked about. What are these children capable of achieving at such a high level? It's not an accident or a miracle - it's because we incorporated all of these teaching principles into their therapy program. While most other therapy providers are stuck on the "Infallible Learning" paradigm and slightly modified Lovaas Methods of Applied Behavior Analysis, we have embraced and fully embraced a multi-modal approach to learning. We made the kids try their best to learn, we used the most creative methods we could think of, and we dared to set the bar seemingly far beyond their abilities. But you know what? They went beyond the time frame and made me truly believe that amazing things are possible if you have the will, courage and perseverance to set yourself on this path and stick with it. If these children with disabilities can live while constantly improving their cognitive abilities, then so can you.

In parting, I'll ask a thought-provoking question: If we have all this supporting data showing that these teaching methods and learning approaches can have such a profoundly positive impact on cognitive growth, why aren't therapy programs or school systems taking advantage of some of these methods? I would like to see them as a standard in the field of education, and not an exception. Let's try something new and shake up the education system a bit, shall we? We would greatly raise the collective IQ.

Intelligence is not only about how many levels in a math course you have completed, how fast you can solve an algorithm, or how many new words over 6 characters you know. It's about about approaching a new problem, recognizing its important components, and solving it. Then collect the knowledge gained and apply it to solve the next, more complex problem. It's about innovation and imagination and being able to apply them to make the world a better place. It is this kind of intelligence that is valuable, and it is this kind of intelligence that we should strive for and encourage.

About the Author: Andrea Kuszewski is a consultant behavioral therapist for children with autism based in Florida; specialist in Asperger's syndrome, or high-functioning autism. She teaches the basics of behavior in society, communication, as well as the impact of behavior on the sphere of home and society, teaching children and parents about therapy methods. Andrea's work as a researcher with METODO Transdisciplinary, American Social Science Research Group, Bogota, Colombia, is investigating the influence of neuro-cognitive factors in human behavior - this includes aspects such as creativity, intelligence, illicit behavior, and diffuse-confuser disorders. like schizophrenia and autism. Also, as a creativity researcher, she is a painter herself and has studied various forms of visual communication ranging from traditional drawing to digital painting, graphic design, and 3D modeling, animation in the medical sciences and behavioral sciences. She has a blog on The Rogue Neuron and on Twitter

Human cognitive abilities are given by nature, it is important to develop them from infancy and throughout life. In old age, cognitive processes begin to fade, therefore, in order to remain in a clear mind and memory, you need to “train” the brain.

What does cognitive mean?

For an ordinary person, the concept is familiar - mental or intellectual development, and not everyone will answer what cognitive means. Cognitive is a cognitive process in which the consciousness processes incoming information, its mental transformation into knowledge, storage and use of accumulated experience in everyday life.

Cognitive Research

What is the cognitive abilities of people, the topic is of interest to psychologists, sociologists, linguists, philosophers. Cognitive research in various fields of science helps to understand and study the following processes:

• human knowledge of the world;
• the influence of language and culture on a personal picture of the world (subjective);
• what is the conscious and the unconscious and how is it related to brain activity;
• which cognitive abilities are innate and which are acquired in different age periods;
• what does the cognitive abilities of artificial intelligence mean (is it possible to create an artificial intelligence in the future that is not inferior to the human one).

Cognitive Psychotherapy

Cognitive therapy is aimed at eliminating errors in thinking and changing illogical thoughts and beliefs into new, constructive ones.

During a psychotherapy session, the cognitive psychologist pays full attention to what the client says, how he expresses his thoughts. The method of cognitive therapy was discovered by A.

Beck has successfully applied it to many patients suffering from depression and affective disorders.

cognitive thinking

The cognitive abilities of the brain are mental functions of a higher order: attention, gnosis, perception, speech, praxis, intellect. Thinking is one of the most important cognitive processes, divided into three types:

• visual-effective (predominant in children under 3 years old) - solving specific problems, cognition and analysis of objects through manipulations with hands.
• visual-figurative - is formed from 4 to 7 years. Solving problems by using mental images.
• abstract - operating with abstract concepts that are difficult to imagine.

Development of cognitive abilities

How to develop cognitive abilities at any age? Normal human development involves interest, curiosity and the desire for development - this is inherent in nature, so it is important to maintain this and be in a state of constant interest in the world and what is happening around. From the very moment of birth, the cognitive (cognitive) abilities of the child need to be developed - this should become one of the important tasks of parents.

Development of cognitive abilities in adults

Improvement in cognitive abilities is possible at different ages, and it must be approached in the right way, using a creative approach so that it does not seem like a chore.

By discovering the exploratory spirit in oneself, a person improves his worldview, mood and helps the development of higher mental functions, which include cognitive abilities.

• brush your teeth with your left hand (left-handers - right);
• choosing a new route when going to work;
• choose your option of physical activity;
• start learning a foreign language;
• solving crossword puzzles, riddles, charades;
• a few minutes a day to do simple things with your eyes closed;
• develop intuition;
• give up junk food in favor of a healthy diet.

Development of cognitive abilities in children

Cognitive skills are important to develop from infancy. The modern choice of educational toys for children is huge, but do not neglect the tools at hand that are in every home. Cognitive abilities in young children can be developed in the following ways:

• games with cereals and buttons (under the strict supervision of adults) - pouring from container to container);
• a variety of finger games with nursery rhymes and jokes (“magpie-crow”, “finger-finger where have you been”);
• games with water (bottling).

Gradually, games and activities become more complex and are aimed at developing motor skills and speech:

• drawing and coloring;
• drawing up puzzles, mosaics;
• cutting the image along the contour;
• construction;
• memorization of verses;
• reading and retelling;
• finding differences in two identical images;
• writing stories.

Exercises for the development of cognitive abilities

Cognitive training is the key to productive longevity and a clear mind, even in old age. The brain needs the same exercise as the body, it is important to spend 15-20 minutes a day on simple, but very useful exercises for brain activity:

Synchronized drawing. You will need a sheet of paper and 2 pencils. Draw geometric shapes with both hands at the same time. You can start with the same shapes for each hand, then complicate the exercise, for example, draw a square with your left hand, and a triangle with your right. Exercise balances the work of both hemispheres of the brain, develops cognitive abilities, motor skills.

Words backwards. Several times during the day, try to pronounce the words you heard from other people to yourself in reverse.

calculation. Everything that is to be counted is important to do through mental mental calculations. Put the calculator away.

Autobiography. There are 2 options for the exercise. In the first, a person begins to remember and write from the present moment, and deepens year after year towards his early childhood. In the second version, childhood is first described.

Loss of cognitive abilities

Cognitive functions and abilities deteriorate with age, this is due to age-related changes, but more often this happens due to comorbidities and an unhealthy lifestyle. At the first symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor for maintenance therapy. Causes of cognitive impairment:

• violation of homeostasis and metabolism;
• obesity;
• type I and II diabetes;
• hypothyroidism;
• arterial hypertension (hypertension);
• violation of cerebral circulation;
• myocardial infarction;
• traumatic brain injury;
• alcohol and drug use;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• Parkinson's disease.

Classification of cognitive impairment:

Mild cognitive impairment- indicators of tests and psychometry may be normal or slight deviations are observed. A person begins to complain of problems with memory, rapid fatigue, attention also suffers at the same time - concentration decreases.

Moderate cognitive impairment- about 15% of this form of disorders are transformed in the future into Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia. Symptoms are increasing: deterioration of thinking, memory and speech.

severe cognitive impairment. They appear after 60 - 65 years of age. A pronounced clinical picture, symptoms characteristic of dementia (dementia). A person ceases to navigate in space, falls into a "childish" age. People with severe cognitive impairment need constant care and drug therapy.

What are abilities - what are the abilities and how to develop them What are abilities and how do they manifest themselves? A child is born with certain inclinations, developing which he becomes successfully realized in society. It can be talents and talents in the areas of mathematics, linguistics, music, sports. Types of abilities - what are they, their classification and levels Types of human abilities - a topic that has been studied by scientists for many years, and they are constantly making new discoveries. With their help, people can understand the world around them and develop, achieving certain results. Frame 25 - what does it mean, who invented it and how does the technology work? Frame 25 - technology of hidden influence on the subconscious by mounting additional images into the film. The technique is used in medicine for the treatment of alcoholism, obesity, smoking, but is not officially recognized. The Delphi method is an expert assessment and forecasting in several stages. Used in various public and scientific fields: sociology, economics, in enterprise management. The technique is named after the ancient Greek Delphic oracle.

Have you thought about what the intellect is and how the level of development of the human mind is determined? Agree that a large amount of knowledge does not give the right to talk about high intelligence.

It is rather erudition and possession of a large amount of information. How can one not recall the well-known phrase of Bayard Taylor: "A well-read blockhead is the most annoying kind of fool."

Therefore, arguing that this or that person is really smart, by this it is correct to mean his developed cognitive abilities.

What is cognitive ability

Cognitive abilities are called mental processes in the human body, which are aimed at receiving and processing information, as well as solving problems and generating new ideas. Modern science attaches great importance to the strengthening of these processes.

cognitive psychology(lat. cognitio “knowledge”) is a branch of psychology that studies cognitive, that is, cognitive processes of the human psyche.

It should be noted that scientists still do not have an unambiguous opinion about what cognitive abilities are.

After all, for example, the ability to manage your emotions does not apply to cognitive abilities. This skill can be called emotional intelligence, and it must be developed separately.

Cognitive abilities include:

• Memory
• Attention
• The senses
• Imagination
• Logical thinking
• Decision making ability

Is it possible to call a person smart if he has well-developed all cognitive abilities? Undoubtedly. After all, such a person is able to make the right decisions.

When thinking, he manages to use logic and a creative approach to things at the same time. It easily remembers large amounts of information and compares the available data according to the degree of significance.

He can easily concentrate on things, as well as masterfully perceive and read information from the external environment or simply by looking at human behavior.

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It is for this reason that cognitive abilities are very important for humans. They are the basis through which the development of the individual as a whole is possible.

All of these cognitive abilities can be developed by almost anyone. At this point in time, there are many techniques and exercises to help improve any of these skills.

Mastering at least one of them has a positive effect on others. For example, concentration is closely related to improved memory.

Improving memory, in turn, has a positive effect on the development of creative thinking, as it allows the formation of many associations in the human brain regarding any incoming information.

If a person fully develops cognitive abilities, he can easily enter the so-called flow.

The flow state (eng. flow, lat. influunt) is a mental state in which a person is fully involved in what he is doing, which is characterized by active concentration, full involvement in the process of activity. I must say that this state is well known to most scientists, researchers and inventors.

There are people who manage to be in a state of flow for 24 hours a day. So, for example, British billionaire Richard Branson has an incredibly high level of perception.

Of course, knowledge and erudition are also of great importance when we determine the degree of "smartness" of a person. After all, they make people interesting conversationalists and often extraordinary thinkers.

Therefore, it is important to understand that in addition to the development of cognitive abilities and skills, an intelligent person needs to constantly acquire new knowledge. Thanks to this, you will be able to use your knowledge in a variety of areas, achieving something new and original.

Books for the development of cognitive abilities

If you want to develop your cognitive abilities, then it will be useful for you to familiarize yourself with the following literature.

• Frans Johansson "The Medici Effect"
• Dmitry Gusev "A short course in logic: the art of correct thinking"
• Harry Lorraine "Development of memory and the ability to concentrate"
• Peter Bregman "18 minutes"
• Eberhard Heule "The Art of Concentration: How to Improve Your Memory in 10 Days"
• Dmitry Chernyshev "How people think"
• Michael Mikalko "Rice Storm and 21 More Ways to Think Outside the Box"

We hope that now you not only understand what cognitive abilities are, but also realize the importance of their development. By the way, do you have any habits or methods by which you train your brain? Write about it in the comments.

If you like at all Interesting Facts on the topic of personal development - subscribe to the site IinterestingFakty.org in any convenient way. It's always interesting with us!

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Cognitive abilities are the most important functions of the human brain

Cognitive functions of the brain - what is it? Speaking of cognitive science, it should be noted that this relatively young direction in science and the date of his birth is conventionally considered to be 1956.

Cognitive psychology reflects a view of a person as a computer, which at that time appeared and began to spread.

In short, a person is the whole information system which processes information in many different ways (cognition).

Conscious thinking is one of the ways not considered a master cognition. In addition to it, there are such important ones as images, emotions, attention, memory, imagination and many others.

What is the cognitive realm? Learn about it from our article.

Definition of the term

Cognitive functions of the brain - functions that allow a person to perform knowledge of information.

Thanks to them, a person receives images, ideas, an assessment of the world around him, people, himself and much more.

These features include attention, visual-spatial perception, memory, understanding, thinking, executive functions (planning actions in accordance with the goal, changing the reaction, etc.).

Simply put, these are the abilities of the brain, thanks to which a person acquires knowledge, skills and abilities.

Mental processes - what are they?

All mental processes that psychologists have been able to model called cognitive. That is, these are processes that lend themselves to logic and comprehension, having an algorithm for processing information.

The processes that could not be modeled were called affective. These include an emotional-sensual attitude to everything.

Definition of concepts

Activity

Activities in cognitive psychology are brain ability perform the following functions: attention, memory, language, visual-spatial perception and executive functions.

As a result of this activity, a person comes to understand something.

He begins to have an idea about objects that included in the worldview person.

Examples: search for common elements in different languages; proof of a mathematical pattern, theorem; essay writing.

General psychology. Cognitive Processes: Speech - in this video:

Thinking

Thinking is one of the information processing tools for solving many problems. It is a personal phenomenon, therefore, there are many types of thinking: critical, flexible, masculine, cheerful, arbitrary and, for example, on the contrary, non-critical, feminine, lazy, involuntary, inflexible.

Thinking is mainly engaged in processing the flow of information (thoughts, images, pictures, sounds).

If a person analyzes information, solves mental problems, compares data and determines particular, general, cause and effect, process and result, then his thinking is considered quite meaningful.

Examples: reading this text; any work; any activity and perception of information.

General psychology. Cognitive Functions: Thinking - in this video:

Communication

Communication is, in a nutshell, first and foremost contacts between people.

It is a whole process, which includes the establishment of contact, then its development.

Communication is a product of people's need for each other, joint activities.

Within the framework of cognitive psychology, communication is important to us, because in the course of it, exchange of information, its knowledge.

We learn information about the interlocutor, get answers to questions.

Examples: training session; Scientific Conference; press conference.

Memory

Memory is the ability of the brain capture, store and reproduce necessary information. If we consider memory as a broader concept, then the process of forgetting also belongs to it and is an important part of it.

The peculiarity of memory lies in the fact that its source of development is not inside, but outside, from the outside.

Like other mental processes, memory formed gradually. A child in the first days of life distinguishes his mother from others, in the future his memory becomes larger and he remembers other people and things around him.

Another feature of memory is its variability. Even though the past is unchangeable, memories can become more and more distorted over the years.

There are many types of memory.
Advice

The memory of the eyes is visual; muscle memory - motor; long-term and short-term memory; positive and negative memory; memory of the past and memory of the future; internal and external memory and many other types. One of the most important types of memory is one's own personal experience.

Examples: exam; driving skills; singing songs.

Flexibility

Flexibility in cognitive terms means the ability of the brain switch from thought to thought think of several thoughts at the same time. Thanks to this, a person adapts to change, which plays a big role in learning and solving complex problems.

Examples: unexpected change in the schedule of cases; change in taste and style; astronaut tests.

Read more about cognitive dissonance here.

Control

Cognitive control is a set of mental processes regulation of behavior. It is considered one of the perfect mechanisms in the human psyche. Through control, a person builds relationships with other people and the environment, taking into account the needs of the individual.

Examples: fight; dispute; bargaining.

Potential

The potential is called the totality of all available means and possibilities.

The potential of the individual is characterized by internal and external indicators.

To internal indicators refers to mental health, interests, intelligence, emotional abilities.

External indicators come from internal, the development of which determines the full potential.

External indicators include responsibility, culture, personal freedom, independence.

Examples: presence of etiquette; outstanding results in the music school; dissertation writing.

Tips for improving the cognitive functions of the brain in this video:

Cognitive (cognitive) abilities (capabilities, skills, abilities) of a person (in addition to those listed above) include:

short term memory- Preservation for a short time of all incoming information.

Focused attention- the ability of the brain to focus on something.

Spatial perception- the ability to assess the state of things in space and connect them relative to each other.

In addition to these abilities, there are many others (hand-eye coordination, inhibition, evaluation, verbal abilities, etc.).

Cognitive skills acquired in childhood determine the ability to read, count, write, abstract and logical thinking.

These include imitation, study of objects, understanding of cause and effect, correlation of objects, selection by similarity, naming, and then the ability to read, write and count.

What factors contribute to their decrease and increase?

A negative lifestyle, constant stress, physical overstrain, unhealthy diet, reduced blood circulation and oxygen supply, due to aging, a number of nervous diseases, contribute to a decrease in cognitive abilities.

Increase cognitive abilities promote physical training (aerobic exercises, strength exercises, dancing), nutrition (water, vitamins, chocolate, milk, etc.), daily routine (sleep, workplace), learning (creativity, foreign languages, speaking, positive thinking), rest (games, meditation), relationships (sex, laughter, communication).

You can learn about what affects cognitive decline in the video:

What is testing for?

Cognitive ability can be measured by a number of tests.

They are needed for determining the level of development of aspects of intelligence and psychomotor functions that ensure performance in specific areas of activity. For each of them there is a separate test.

For example, to determine the level of logical abilities, they give mathematical problems, tasks on analogies, on determining the sequence, on solving problems.

IQ tests measure the ability to analyze, solve problems, reason, cope with a difficult situation, perceive the relationship of things.

But tests of this kind, according to psychologists, measure the overall intellectual potential.

note

For example, the Attention Distribution and Multitasking test gives an idea of ​​both the overall efficiency of working with several tasks at the same time, and the effectiveness of each individual task. The test is useful for people whose activities require a constant distribution of attention between simple tasks (secretary).

Cognitive psychology views the human psyche as system of cognitive operations. It allows for a convenient consideration of the human being as a computer and is on the way to bringing together multiple studies under a single concept.

Cognitive ability test:

10 Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Ability

The process of thinking is an integral part of our life. In situations where you need to quickly learn the material or think through the project in detail, you want everything to happen quickly and efficiently. There are several ways that improve human cognitive abilities.

drink coffee

A large amount of coffee harms the body, but researchers have found that caffeine does more than just keep you awake. It is able to help focus on complex tasks, increases the efficiency of mental activity, improves reaction. Coffee does not make a person smarter, this drink only temporarily improves brain function.

drink wine

Norwegian scientists have found that people who regularly drink wine perform better on cognitive tasks than those who give up alcohol. This relationship is especially pronounced among women. Of course, wine can only help if the amount is strictly limited. It is assumed that the characteristics of this drink are based on the antioxidant properties of wine.

sunbathe

The study found that people who had high levels of vitamin D in their bodies performed better on control tests than those who were deficient in this element. Vitamin D is formed under the action of sunlight.

sunlight

dance

Dancing and outdoor activities reduce the risk of dementia. In addition, these types of activities improve a person’s cognitive abilities and teach them to make quick decisions.

Watch your nutrition

It’s not enough to just eat a product that has received “best” status. In the long term, you need to provide the brain with the necessary vitamins, various elements. The most important thing is to monitor sugar, the presence of amino acids, antioxidants and omega-3s.

food pyramid

Play Tetris

Using MRI, it was found that playing Tetris increases the activity of gray matter in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, such an activity helps the mind quickly forget about recent tragedies and problems.

go in for sports

Studies have shown that athletes perform much better on cognitive tasks than non-athletes. Regular walks on the street are enough to increase brain performance by 10%.

Gym

Allow yourself to rest

In certain situations, it is really necessary to fully concentrate on the task and not stop to rest. Researchers have found that people who allow themselves to take breaks while working have a much better memory than those who work without rest. It’s enough just to break away from work and think about something else.

Temporarily stop eating

While a proper and balanced diet is essential in the long run, short-term food avoidance can help improve brain performance quickly. Researchers believe it's an evolutionary process - we work better when the brain thinks it's undernourished.

Talk to yourself

Scientists came to the conclusion that when searching for a thing, you need to say its name aloud, as this allows you to find the desired item much faster.

Cognitive - this is what, how to develop cognitive functions and abilities, so that later there are no violations and distortions

Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Probably, most of you have discussed whether your friend or neighbor can be called a smart person.

After this question, as a rule, a discussion begins, but by what criteria, in fact, to judge?

Smart is someone who has a large amount of knowledge? But he is simply a carrier of information, and may not use it in practice and in life.

When scientists try to define intelligence, they always talk about human cognitive abilities- cognitive functions. What are they, how to develop them, and what to do in case of a "breakdown"? We will understand and become smarter for our friend.

Cognitive functions, abilities and processes

Cognitive functions are the processes in the brain that are involved in our exploration of the environment.

The information that comes through our analyzers is processed. We interpret it and translate it into knowledge. They are stored in memory, accumulate over time, becoming life experiences.

Cognitive ability is:

perception;

Attention;

memory;

thinking;

imagination.

If a person throughout his life develops these cognitive characteristics, then it can be considered smart and intelligent.

Since he is able to perceive information from different sources in a large volume and for a long time; remembers it, reproduces it; draws conclusions; has logical thinking; can present the most vivid images based on what they see or hear.

How to develop cognitive thinking

Immediately after birth, the child begins to perceive and explore the world. But he does it at his own level, depending on his age and whether his parents are involved with him.

There are two types of cognitive thinking:

Visual and effective(up to 3 years) - the child examines everything around, tries to touch, sometimes even tries to lick. That is, it uses all the simplest ways to learn about the objects around. The role of mom and dad at this stage is to show the child various interesting objects, name them, tell in an accessible language about their properties and how to use them, and let them study for themselves.

Visual-figurative(up to 7 years) - the child learns to complete tasks, solve tasks using logic. Parents should play with him in developing games for fine motor skills, memory, attention and imagination. Also teach the rules of behavior, which also develops cognitive thinking.

abstract(after 7) - the student learns to understand, imagine abstract things (what is it?), Which cannot be seen or touched.

But what is an adult to do? Is it possible that the level of development of memory or thinking that exists at the moment - this is the limit? No, even in your 40s or 60s, you can continue to exercise your cognitive abilities.

Love for the knowledge of the surrounding world and oneself contribute to the improvement of these functions of the brain.

Learn a foreign language.

Choose a different route to get to work or school.

Do the usual things with the other hand (for right-handers - left, for left-handers - right).

Solve crossword puzzles.

Draw even if you don't know how. Make it harder: take pencils in both hands and continue to depict something.

Say different words out loud or to yourself in reverse.

If you need to calculate simple equations, do it in your head, without the help of a calculator and paper.

In order to train your memory, you need to remember in detail how the whole day went before going to bed. You can also reproduce an autobiography from childhood itself. Or in reverse order: from today to the moment when they crawled on the floor for a toy. You can remember just in your head, or by telling someone, or writing in a notebook.

Watch various films and read books, of course.

There are many applications in our smartphones that are directly aimed at the development of certain cognitive functions.

Cognitive Impairments and Disorders

The more a person is engaged in intellectual development, the more connections appear between neurons, which, in turn, develop. It creates cognitive reserve.

If some part of the brain ceases to function adequately due to injury or aging, then another part will take responsibility (what is it?) for performing important functions.

An experiment was conducted at Harvard where 824 people were observed over the years. They were of different levels of education, social security and intellectual development.

The result showed that people who actively developed their cognitive abilities were able to think logically in old age, remember the smallest details, and behave adequately.

cognitive disorders possible for the following reasons:

injury;

infectious diseases directly of the brain (meningitis);

infectious diseases of other systems, in which toxins are released and the cells of the nervous system are damaged (syphilis);

oncological formations;

diabetes;

stroke;

mental illness (schizophrenia);

aging.

Depending on what served as a factor in the occurrence of dysfunction, there will be different symptoms. and cognitive deficits. Let's look at the example of senile and vascular dementia.

Dementia that appears after age 65 is called Alzheimer's disease.

The main symptom is the development of forgetfulness. In the future, memory deterioration progresses to the point that a person may not remember his name and where he lives. Also, problems with orientation in space begin. Therefore, these patients need constant supervision.

Speech is broken.

It is difficult for a person to pronounce words, repeats them. Then there are problems with logical thinking, which is also noticeable when talking with the patient. They become angry at everything around, very sensitive and whiny.

Vascular dementia develops due to insufficient blood circulation in the brain, ischemia, strokes. Memory impairment does not come to the fore, as in Alzheimer's. Immediately noticeable decrease in attention, its concentration.

It is difficult for patients to distinguish similarities and differences between objects, slow thinking, and it is difficult to pronounce words.

Treatment is prescribed only after a thorough diagnosis of the cause.

If this is a consequence of such diseases as infectious, oncological, diabetes, then the therapy is aimed at getting rid or correcting the underlying disease.

In Alzheimer's disease, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are chosen.

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In case of vascular disorders, doctors' attention is directed to improving blood circulation: phosphodiesterase inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, a2-adrenergic receptor blockers.

To improve the state of intelligence in diseases, drugs with metabolic and antioxidant properties are often used. Experiments have also proven the positive effect of nootropics. But it is worth remembering that they help only when there is a problem. Do not improve cognitive abilities in healthy people.

Cognitive distortions (dissonance)

Cognitive dissonance is not just a tricky phrase that only applies to scientists and professors. We ourselves in everyday life often encounter this.

This is the state in which there are contradictions:

During a cognitive distortion, a person experiences confusion, anxiety, awkwardness, stress, feelings of shame and guilt, or even anger - psychological discomfort. For example, there is a beggar in a pedestrian crossing who you have given some money to.

She reaches for them, and an expensive watch is shown on her hand.

You are confused at first because you thought the person needed financial support. And it turns out that he can be richer than you yourself.

At first you find yourself in a stupor, which can then turn into aggression, because you were fooled.

Dissonance (what is it?) arises for these reasons.:

the discrepancy between a person's knowledge of an object, phenomenon, other people and really what they are;

the discrepancy between the acquired experience and the situation, which was repeated, only in a different way;

inconsistency of personal opinion with the point of view of others, which pops up randomly;

maintaining traditions and beliefs, if you yourself do not sincerely honor and believe them;

logical inconsistency of facts.

What to do if this incomprehensible cognitive dissonance happened to you? First you need to reduce the significance of this state. After all, there is an explanation for everything, which is simply not available to you at the moment.

To do this, you need to look for new information about subject of cognitive distortion. Study in more detail, or talk about it with other people.

Perhaps you just had a small piece of knowledge, and there was a great opportunity to expand it.Important

Not worth having very shackled beliefs. You must absorb and notice information of various formats, study everything around. With such an approach to life, it is unlikely that something can surprise or greatly offend.

Just stumble upon new knowledge that you immediately take note of.

cognitive psychology

In psychotherapy, there are many directions that are individually selected for the client, depending on his personality type and the current problem.

One of the commonly used methods is cognitive behavioral therapy.

The essence of the direction lies in the fact that the cause of the problem, most likely, is in the person himself, and not in the world around him. In his thinking in particular.

Therefore, the psychologist, together with the client, is trying to study it, to find out on what statements it is built and what experience formed the basis of the problem.

Psychotherapist finds a false setting, which causes negative feelings in a person, a feeling of impossibility to overcome the existing difficulties. And shows it from the side. Explains why it is wrong and how to think more effectively.

But at the same time, the specialist does not impose his position in life.

Cognitive Therapy suitable for such situations:

Cognitive functions - an overview, their impairments and disorders

Today in our article we will talk about such an important function, which is called cognitive functions. In fact, these are the most important functions in everyone's life, because it is thanks to them that a person can think, make meaningful speech, express his thoughts in writing, make plans and perceive the world around him holistically.

In other words, we will consider what distinguishes man from animals, making him a man.

Definition

The term "cognitive" itself is a scientific term, so it is not so often found in the everyday lexicon. And yet, this term reveals such human abilities that are familiar to everyone. It is cognitive functions that help a person find connections with the environment and build their ideas about the world as a whole.

cognitive functions, also known as cognitive functions, are brain processes, they are aimed at ensuring that the individual can interact with others.

Human life largely depends on such a unique and important skill as the ability to remember and store information. Of course, the point of view according to which only memory is included in this definition is erroneous.

Cognitive functions are a complex mechanism, this is the relationship of complex mental processes, the level of which differs in different people.

It is important that they can be developed and trained, but it is also important to remember that these processes can be disrupted due to various factors and personality disorders.

Naturally, the ability to perceive, store and reproduce information is very important, but these processes are impossible alone, the interrelation of different processes is important here.

Higher brain functions

In order to better understand this issue, it is necessary to consider cognitive functions separately.

One of the most important functions is attention. It can be characterized as the ability to concentrate mental processes on a particular object. Each person has an individually expressed characteristic of this process, such as:

• sustainability;
• Concentration;
• Way to switch;
• Concentration;
• Volume.

All these characteristics change the quality of attention in different people. It is because of them that it turns out that some easily remember something, while others cannot concentrate their attention in any way. But also all these characteristics can be developed by working on yourself.

Another important function is human perception. It is compiled based on the information that a person receives from the senses in the form of single images. For this function, constancy is important, in other words, an object that is perceived by a person regardless of changing conditions is always perceived as the same. For example, a person can recognize a friend regardless of how he is dressed or where he is. Animals are deprived of this quality, which is why the dog cannot recognize his friend who will stand in the dark or if he is in other clothes.

Gnosis is the ability to recognize, visually identify images and match them to categories.

Memory - this cognitive function makes it possible to capture, store and reproduce information received in advance at the right time.

Intelligence is already the ability to “work” with the information received: to analyze, compare facts, evaluate, generalize, and so on.

Speech is a unique skill by which people can communicate using symbolic signs.

Praxis is a complex of abilities that form and include motor skills in human activities and help him build, teach and automate the sequence of his movements.

Let's look at some of the features in more detail below. Since they are deeper and broader concepts, it will also help to better understand the nature of cognitive impairment.

A few words about intelligence

Speech and intelligence can be distinguished as cognitive functions of the brain. Indeed, thanks to this, a person can pronounce meaningful sounds that develop into speech. The cognitive functions of the brain give the individual the opportunity to conduct a monologue even without a speech apparatus, only pronouncing the words in his thoughts.

Using symbols that correspond to human sounds, written speech also appears. How rich is a person vocabulary and whether he can build more complex phrases is related to his intelligence. It can even be said that it is the combined cognitive abilities of a person, which relies on such human functions as attention, perception, memory and representation.

It was intelligence that separated humans and animals. However, intelligence itself is a general concept, the implementation of which requires a number of mental functions, such as: the ability to plan, predict various events, based on environment and gained experience.

In order to determine the intelligence of a person, it is necessary to take into account such human abilities as: learning ability, logical thinking, the ability to analyze different information, as well as compare and find patterns in different phenomena.

And to characterize the intellect, the breadth and depth of thinking, logic, flexibility of the mind, criticality and evidence of one's conclusions are taken as the basis.

One of the important components of intelligence is erudition. Many mistakenly assume that erudition and intelligence are the same, but this is far from the case. Since an erudite only has a large stock of knowledge, however, without intelligence, a person cannot in any way wield this "baggage", draw logical conclusions, and so on.

In order to measure intelligence today there are a number of tests. These tests are created based on a proven pattern, which says that if a person can solve a certain type of problem, then he will successfully cope with other problems.

Praxis or the unique ability of a person

A person has a number of important and unique cognitive abilities, one of which is praxis. This is the ability of a person to maintain a conscious sequence of his actions and movements. Praxis is the ability that appears in a person in infancy, giving the baby a rattle in his hand, so the parents themselves lay the foundation for this function.

There are several types of praxis:

• Finger - when a person learns to use his fingers, then he, as a consequence, has gestures.
• Symbolic is already a set of gestures that give an idea of ​​what a particular person wants to say. This is somewhat reminiscent of the principle by which the deaf communicate: thanks to a set of special gestures, they can communicate without words.

Violation of this function in humans can lead to a number of undesirable consequences.

It is probably not a secret for anyone that each function is associated with a certain part of the brain. And this is natural, because each individual function has its own localization in the brain. These are separate areas of the brain that have a group of neurons, and they in turn are responsible for a certain type of neural transmission.

For example, cognitive functions are located in the cerebral cortex. There are 3 sections:

Sensory - which processes signals from the senses.

Motor - which is responsible for the motor functions of different parts of the human body.

Associative - it can be considered a kind of intermediary that provides a connection between the sensory and motor areas.

For thinking, both logical and abstract, for speech, planning their movements, the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex are responsible.

The processing of information obtained with the help of visual analyzers is carried out in the occipital lobe, in the same way that information received from hearing aids is analyzed in the temporal lobe.

There are more ancient areas of the brain that help provide basic skills for human survival.

Human memory, sense of smell and emotions are manifested through the limbic system.

note

The thalamus provides redirection of impulses from various organs: vision, hearing, balance and tactile senses.
The hippocampus helps to remember new information.

Awareness of one's own "I", consciousness, in the adaptation of the individual and in the feelings of existence - an important role of the midbrain.

And all departments are closely interconnected and interact with the transmission of impulses by neurotransmitters: serotonins, dopamine, adrenaline, acetylcholine, etc. these neurotransmitters themselves can slow down or speed up cognitive tasks in humans.

From the above, it becomes clear that any violations: blood flow, brain damage or tumors in a particular area, can cause cognitive disorders in humans.

cognitive disorders

Even the slightest injury can eventually lead to various cognitive impairments. Naturally, in terms of severity, these disorders vary from mild to severe.

If you look at the causes of these violations, then the factors leading to violations can be divided into:

Degenerative diseases - Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's.

Vascular diseases - heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis.

Metabolic problems - hypoglycemia, hepatic or renal encephalopathy, drug use (benzodiazepines, anticholinergics), hypo- or hyperthyroidism.

Neuroinfections.

Various brain injuries.

Brain tumor.

As for the type of violations, it will depend on the place where the influencing factor is located. However, this does not mean that in case of violation you need to give up. Not at all, because violations of a mild form and even moderate severity, even in people of age, can recover if correct and timely measures are taken and treated.

A few last words

Cognitive functions are abilities that are associated with the human brain and depend on the human body as a whole.

This is precisely what causes failures in the quality of cognitive functions in various disorders, damage to the brain or the body and under the influence of strong emotions.

When these failures reach appreciable limits, these degradations in quality are called cognitive impairment.

And this, in turn, affects the whole life of a person, affecting his various areas: from simple household to social and professional areas of the individual.

Fortunately, today there are many ways to deal with cognitive impairment. Therefore, if you feel that you have some problems, minor cognitive impairments: memory lapses, difficulties with perception, etc., then you need to deal with it using one or another technique.

Cognitive functions are a sign of higher mental activity

Man differs from animals in the presence of higher nervous activity. The ability to think, communicate with the help of meaningful speech, express it in writing, as well as perform directed actions, plan and perceive reality holistically are combined into cognitive functions.

What are cognitive functions

Cognitive or cognitive functions are those brain processes that are aimed at interacting with other people and the outside world.

Human life is extremely dependent on the ability to remember and store information, to correctly compare known facts to anticipate the consequences of their actions.

The degree of development of such mental processes is individual, they can be trained, but can be disturbed under the influence of various factors.

It is a mistake to believe that cognitive functions are only memory (see Types of Memory Loss). The ability to perceive, store and reproduce information is important, but it is impossible without other processes.

Attention is one of such functions, which is characterized by the ability to concentrate mental processes on a specific object. Each one has the following characteristics:

• stability;
• switchability;
• concentration;
• concentration;
• volume.

The function of perception is the construction of integral images on the basis of information received from the senses. Perception is characterized by constancy: the object is defined as the same, regardless of the changed external conditions. This ability is not typical for animals: a dog may consider a familiar person as a stranger if he is in the shade or puts on unfamiliar clothes.

Find out why cognition changes with age: causes.

Why does aphasia occur in stroke and how to treat it.

The cognitive functions of the brain are speech and intelligence. A person can meaningfully pronounce sounds that add up to words, and those into sentences. Symbols correspond to sounds, written speech arises. A person can build phrases, conduct a monologue without the participation of the speech apparatus, mentally pronouncing the words.

The number of words used, the ability to build complex phrases depend on intelligence. We can say that these are combined cognitive abilities. They are based on attention, perception, memory, representation.

The development of the intellect separated man from animals, but this general concept which is realized through various mental functions. It is defined through learning ability, logical thinking, the ability to analyze information, compare and find patterns. It is also planning skills, the ability to foresee distant events based on the data of the present reality.

Intelligence is characterized through the breadth and depth of thinking, logic, flexibility of the mind, criticality and evidence. Its value can be measured, for this IQ tests have been developed. They are based on the observed pattern: if a person is able to solve problems of a certain type, then there is success in solving others.

Erudition is an important component of intelligence, but you cannot put an equal sign between them. A large amount of knowledge in an erudite does not yet mean the ability to dispose of them, to draw logical conclusions (see Who is an erudite).

Cognitive abilities include praxis - the ability to produce a conscious sequence of actions or movements. They begin to master the ability even in infancy, when they first give a rattle to the child's hand. Then finger praxis develops - the ability to manipulate one's fingers, gestures appear.

A special place is occupied by symbolic praxis - these are various gestures by which you can understand what a person wants to say, imitation of holding the phone, driving a car, drinking from a glass. Approximately on this principle, the language of the deaf is built: the implementation of a special set of gestures allows you to communicate without words.

Connection of functions with parts of the brain

What are cognitive functions based on their localization in the brain? They are presented as special areas of the brain with groups of neurons responsible for a certain type of neural transmission. Violation of the blood supply, damage or tumor growths in these areas entail a violation of the cognitive functions of the brain.

Cognitive functions are formed in the cortex. It conditionally distinguishes three zones:

• sensory - involved in the processing of signals from the senses;
• motor - provides movement of different parts of the body;
• associative - provides a link between the two previous ones, determines a behavioral response based on impulses from the sensory zone.

The frontal lobes of the cortex provide logical and abstract thinking, speech, and planning of movements. In the parietal are centers for the analysis of sensory sensations. Data processing of the visual analyzer is carried out by the occipital lobe, in the temporal lobe - by hearing.

Older parts of the brain provide basic survival skills. The limbic system is memory, smell, emotions. The thalamus is responsible for redirecting impulses from the organs of hearing, vision, balance and touch. Memorization of new information occurs due to the hippocampus.

The midbrain plays a role in the processes of consciousness and self-awareness, feelings of existence, as well as in adaptive behavior. The interaction of all departments and the transmission of impulses occurs due to neurotransmitters:

• serotonin;
• dopamine;
• GABA;
• adrenalin;
• acetylcholine.

It often happens that they slow down or speed up cognitive tasks.

Learn what verbal intelligence and abilities are.

The severity of violations can be different: from mild to severe. Factors influencing the development of pathology are:

Degenerative diseases: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's.

Pathologies associated with blood vessels: heart attack and stroke, atherosclerosis.

Metabolic disorders: hypoglycemia, hepatic or renal encephalopathy, drug use (benzodiazepines, anticholinergics), hypo- or hyperthyroidism.

Neuroinfections.

Head injury.

brain tumors.

CSF outflow pathology.

The type of violation will depend on the location of the impact of the damaging factor. Mild or moderate cognitive impairment even after a stroke in the elderly is able to recover with proper treatment.