Cognitive abilities are the most important functions of the human brain. Human cognitive abilities - what is it Cognitive abilities and their development

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.

And how to be?

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 mechanisms of adaptation are the use of conjecture, volitional qualities, social connections, manipulation of emotional states. Of course, not every profession allows such behavior, but people of "non-academic" types usually do not choose very complex intellectual specialties.

Miscellaneous tasks

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 of success in life. 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.

Graduate Equality

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.

Don't spray!

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.

Cognitive (cognitive) abilities (cognitive abilities)

K. s. can also be considered as properties inherent in all people as a biologist. mind, for example. the ability to master the native language, and as properties that vary from individual to individual or from one group of people to others, for example. verbal or mental ability. The vast majority of research K. s. devoted to their study with t. sp. individual differences, since differences are observed between people even in those abilities that are characteristic of them as a species.

Cognitive Ability Tests

J. Cattell proposed the term "mental test" in 1890, but even before that, F. Galton had developed a set of simple mental tests. Cattell's tests, intended for American college students, measured mental speed. reactions, sensory discrimination and word associations. These tests, however, were found to be poorly associated with student learning success. In the early 1900s French psychologist A. Binet found that tests of more complex mental functions, such as the ability to memorize passages of prose or to solve simple mental problems, were useful in predicting school performance and in identifying children with mental retardation. development. At the beginning of the XX century. British psychologists, led by C. Spearman, have developed many mental tests. functions, to-rye could be carried out both with children, and with adults. In the US, the impetus for the "test movement" was not only adaptive. L. M. Termen in 1916 Binet tests, known as the Stanford-Binet test, but also the widespread use of tests for classifiers. officers and recruits mobilized during the First World War. All these tests - Binet, Terman and army (alpha and beta) - became called. intelligence tests. They are widely used not only because of their practice. usefulness, but also as a measure of important mental characteristics.

To assess the consistency of the results of different tests when they measure one feature or one property, you can use the correlation coefficient. This idea was first expressed by Spearman in 1904. A series of studies carried out by him. ended with the publication in 1927 of his major work, The abilities of man. In it, Spearman developed a theory of intelligence, in essence, the theory of K. s., in which all mental tests were considered to one degree or another as measurements of a single trait or "factor" of cognitive ability, which Spearman called "g" ( by the first letter of the full name "general" ability). Spearman believed that the "g" factor was measured whenever a mental task called for what he called. eduction, or the discovery of relationships and correlates. In a more familiar language, this several. an exotic term might be called inference or induction. Spearman's contemporaries, however, were not ready to accept the idea of ​​a single factor in cognitive ability and continued to believe that different tests still measured different abilities - specific abilities to operate with verbal material, spatial relationships, recall learned lists of words from memory, etc.

With the development of methods of factor analysis, there has been clear progress in resolving controversial issues related to the understanding of K. s. The leaders of this movement were S. Barth, G. Thomson in Great Britain and K. Holzinger, T. L. Kelly and L. L. Thurstone in the USA.

Cognitive Factors

The main goal in studying To. consisted of determining what kinds of abilities could be identified and interpreting their nature. In 1938, Thurstone published a work entitled "Primary mental abilities" (Primary mental abilities) - results of a factor analysis of a battery of 57 K. measures. in the form of group blank tests, which he conducted on university students. Mn. of these measures were similar to the tasks that were part of the intelligence tests, but each of them was intended to measure one - specific - cognitive function. In this battery, he identified at least 8 factors that can be clearly interpreted:

S. Spatial: The ability to perceive and compare spatial patterns.

V. Verbal comprehension: the ability to determine the meaning of words and, more broadly, to understand speech and operate with verbal relationships.

W. Word fluency: The ability to quickly produce words within certain limits regarding their letter composition.

N. Ease of numerical operations (Number facility): the speed and accuracy of performing simple arithmetic operations.

I. Induction (Induction): the ability to deduce the rules, the Crimea is subject to a specific set of incentives.

R. Perceptual speed: the speed and accuracy of detecting certain visual stimuli in an array of material or comparing such stimuli with c.-l. others.

D. Deduction: The ability to reason from premises to precise conclusions.

L. Mechanical memory (Rote memory): the ability to memorize and reproduce from memory arbitrary connections between stimuli, such as words and numbers.

Thurstone believed that his results support the conclusion that there are many. types of intelligence and refute the assumption of the existence of one type of intelligence - general. In later research. Thurstone and other scientists, this conclusion was softened to the assumption of a “hierarchical” organization of K. s. This assumption meant that nek-ry To. are extremely general, part of a variety of mental activities, while others are more specialized.

Hierarchical approach to K. with. accepted several forms. British psychologists, the position of which is represented by F. Vernon's book "The structure of human abilities", place at the very top of the K. hierarchy with. main group factor, the Spearman factor "g", and at the next level - secondary group factors: the factor "v: ed" (verbal-numerical-educational), the origin of which is associated with Ch. arr. with schooling, and the factor "k:m", ("practical-mechanical-spatial-physical"); in addition to them, numerous specific factors are distinguished, such as verbal, numerical, spatial, etc., which are part of these group factors.

J. P. Gilford, in his book The nature of human intelligence, defended the so-called. “structure of intelligence” (SI) model. Guilford rejected the idea of ​​a "g" factor, or general intelligence. Instead, he believed that all K. s. can ultimately be represented as a cross-classification. on three grounds: types of mental operations, types of content, and types of "products" or results obtained as a result of their processing. It has been argued that each kind of cognitive ability or factor is associated with a particular process, content, and product. Processes, or "operations", are cognition (perception of information), memory, divergent production, convergent production and evaluation. The content can be figurative, symbolic, semantic or behavioral (the latter is associated with gestures, facial expressions, etc.). Products can be elements, classes, relationships, systems, transformations, and implications. Guilford tried to give strict definitions to these categories, which, in combination, made it possible to single out at least 120 different factors. Due to a number of technical considerations, not all researchers in the field have adopted Guildford's model, but it has proved useful as a guide to further research, and Guilford claims that approximately 100 independent ability factors have been identified to date.

With t. sp. factor analysis is what is measured by any particular test, maybe. either a single, "pure" factor of cognitive ability, or a conglomerate of several. such abilities.

In the 70s. a number of cognitive psychologists have resurrected research from actual oblivion. those simplest cognitive functions, to-rye were studied by J. Cattell and others at the end of the 19th century. as possible measures of intelligence. Modern the level of technology and the use of microcomputers provide new opportunities for this.

Clinical approaches

J. Piaget is the largest researcher of K. with. clinical approach. He was more interested in studying abilities as universal characteristics of Homo sapiens and their development throughout a person's life, especially during childhood. Main the method was individual conversations with children, during which they were asked questions aimed at clarifying their knowledge and ideas about the world around them; tzh used b. or m. standardized cognitive tasks, such as asking them to arrange sticks by size, or to guess the height of water in a vessel of narrow diameter after it has been poured from a larger vessel.

Psychologists debated whether those types of K. s., to-rye were studied by Piaget and his colleagues, to. attitudes toward factors of intelligence studied by psychometrists through more formal tests. Most likely, yes, but K. s. in Piaget's sense, they are best viewed as subtypes of the inductive, deductive, and spatial abilities explored by psychometrists. The degree of development of these abilities in different children, apparently, is reflected quite well in indicators of general intelligence.

Clinical approach in studying To. was also used by the Russian psychologist A. R. Luria in his research. development of cognitive functions in representatives of various, predominantly. uneducated, population groups in the former Soviet Union in 1932, the results of which are set out in the book "The Historical Development of Cognitive Processes", and in his research. mental disorders in aphasia and other local lesions of the brain. In more recent research, using the informal cognitive test sets described in his book Higher Human Cortical Functions, Luria developed. theory of brain organization of cognitive functions.

Development and decline of cognitive abilities

For the "average" person, apparently, it will be fair to say that all K. s. develop gradually; their development begins from the moment of birth or a little later and continues until the age of 20-22, although, perhaps, it proceeds at different rates. Since it is extremely difficult to establish absolute scales or metrics for various abilities, it is equally difficult to compare abilities by their rates of development. However, there can hardly be any doubt that there are significant individual differences in the rate of cognitive development, both in terms of general ability and more specialized abilities.

Evidence of a possible decrease in K. s. in the period of adulthood and old age cannot yet be considered final. In general, psychologists report that "crystallized" abilities, e.g. as measured by the Vocabulary test are well preserved in old age or show only a slight decline, while "fluid" (fluid) abilities, such as the ability to infer, show some decline on average, especially if the cognitive task requires a quick response. The interpretation of these data is difficult due to the possible intersection of differences among age groups with cultural and educational differences. Mn. people of senile age manage to keep a normal level of K. page, to-ry they demonstrated in the period of adulthood.

Sources of Individual Differences

The main concern of psychology is to find out to what extent individual differences are determined by the biologist. (genetic) factor through the processes of natural maturation and, to some extent, by the experience of interaction with the environment through the channels of formal education, upbringing, training and spontaneous learning. This problem rises with special sharpness in connection with To.

The question is to what extent K. s. can be strengthened by special training. Few doubt that certain abilities can be improved; for example, this is clearly possible with respect to individual vocabulary and verbal ability. Attempts to improve certain other abilities, for example. ability to operate with spatial relationships, proved to be much less successful. In general, there is a large gap in our knowledge of the boundaries of the development of various C. s. Often the result of development programs To. it turns out not to increase individual differences, but to decrease them.

Due to the recognition of the important role of K. s. in the development of democratic and high-tech cultures, their scientific study is one of the most important areas of psychology.

See also General (general) factor of intelligence, Measures of intelligence, Model of the structure of intelligence

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(Latin cognitio “knowledge”) is a section 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
• Feelings
• 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 simultaneously use a creative approach to things. 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.

It is for this reason that cognitive abilities are very important for humans. They represent the base, thanks to which the 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 development, as it allows you to form many associations 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.

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The thought process and the process of perception are two sides of the same coin. And they are not only something that is inherent in absolutely each of us, but also represent one of the main components of our life.

Any person from time to time encounters situations when, for one reason or another, it is required to do something as quickly as possible, for example, to develop a project in all details, to understand what is being discussed in the material being studied, etc. But not everyone has the ability to do it in such a way that it is both fast and efficient at the same time. And the point here is mainly that everyone has different cognitive abilities, i.e. ability to perceive.

But the very good news is that no matter what a person's cognitive abilities are, he can improve them. And if you thought that for this you need to pass a lot of different tests, understand yourself and use all kinds of developing techniques, then here we want to please you: this, albeit useful and, of course, effective, but not at all necessary. you can, living your usual life, and, perhaps, making very minor changes to it.

And in this article, we will tell you how you can do it.

10 Unusual Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Ability

So, there are some rather unusual ways to increase your cognitive abilities.

Method #1: Watch your diet

First of all, you must understand for yourself that any products that have a status or are simply called “best” by someone are still not enough. If you approach this issue in more detail and take into account the long-term perspective, then you must provide your main organ - the brain - with the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements. Particular attention should be paid to a sufficient amount of sugar, antioxidants, amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids. And the most beneficial foods for the brain include seafood, grains, eggs, berries, nuts, leafy green vegetables and chocolate.

Method #2: Drink coffee

Of course, we all heard that coffee can be called a product harmful to the body. However, it is harmful only when it comes to a large amount of it, because if a lot of coffee enters the body, this negatively affects the work of the cardiovascular and digestive systems. But moderate consumption does not just keep a person in a state of cheerfulness. Coffee helps to focus on difficult tasks, activates mental activity and improves reaction. Naturally, he will not be able to make a person smarter, but at the time of a breakdown or a decrease in brain activity, he will become an excellent support.

Method number 3: Give up food for a while

Yes, we have already said that for the productivity of the brain in the long run is indispensable. But, despite this fact, in some cases, a short refusal to eat can help improve brain performance in the shortest possible time. According to a fairly large number of experts in the field of nutrition and performance, this state of affairs has developed in the evolutionary process - a person is able to work more efficiently if his body sends signals to the brain that he is not getting enough nutrition. The brain, in response, sends back impulses, indicating to the body that the time has come to use spare reserves.

Method number 4: Drink wine

Do not under any circumstances think that we are on the side of alcohol abuse. But, you see, drunkenness and the occasional use of the "Drink of the Gods" are two different things. According to scientists from Norway, people who regularly drink a little wine are much better at solving cognitive problems than those who drink alcohol once and for all, which is presumably due to the presence of antioxidants in wine. It is especially interesting that this trend is most pronounced among the fair sex. But every person, no matter whether it is a man or a woman, must understand that the benefits of wine can only be when it is used only occasionally.

Method number 5: Sunbathe

The impact of sunlight on the human body has been studied for a long time, and each time the results of these studies give interesting results. For example, according to the most recent data, people who had high levels of vitamin D in their bodies performed better on control tests than those who were deficient in this vitamin. Given that vitamin D is formed through exposure to sunlight, we recommend that you go to the beach as often as possible or, if there is none nearby, go on vacation to resorts. At the same time, you will have a great time (bat maybe even)!

Method number 6: Rest

We live in a world of constant work and worries, stress and pressure. For this reason, in many situations, a person faces the need to work without rest. This, of course, allows from time to time to perform large amounts of work, but without rest, both the working capacity and cognitive abilities of a person are greatly reduced. People who take at least short breaks in the work process perceive information better, remember more and better, and solve tasks better. Remember: if you can’t arrange a job and a day off for yourself, allow yourself to be periodically distracted and rest a little - the result will be much higher than if you work without interruptions.

Method number 7: Rest actively

Method number 8: Exercise

Continuing the theme of outdoor activities, we can not say about sports. Yes, some people do not see themselves in sports at all, they prefer intellectual development or cultural and educational types of leisure activities. But physical activity should always be. they don’t have to be professional at all - here we mean even small loads, such as gymnastics, push-ups and pull-ups, jogging and walking in the fresh air. If you intend to go to the gym or fitness, it will be even better, because athletes perform cognitive tasks more efficiently than non-athletes. By the way, even an hour walk in the park will increase your efficiency by 10%.

Method number 9: Play logic games

With the help of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), it was possible to find out that a simple game of Tetris has a positive effect on the activity of gray matter (the main component of the central nervous system). But, besides Tetris, there is also a huge number of intellectual games: games to search for objects, and puzzles, the same crosswords and puzzles - all this develops the brain and improves cognitive abilities. In addition, another charm of them is that such activities help people to distract from bad events and problems.

Method #10: Talk to yourself

According to the results of experiments on finding things, it turned out that people who are busy looking for an object or thing find it much faster if they say out loud the name of what they are looking for. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you talk to yourself from time to time, you can quickly find answers to the right questions, better concentrate on the tasks at hand, make decisions faster, etc. Plus, talking to yourself often helps.

You have probably noticed that all the considered methods not only do not create uncomfortable sensations in life, but are also associated with positive emotions. Therefore, take them into service and increase your cognitive abilities.

OUR WAY: But we also have our own way of increasing cognitive abilities, and it can not only increase and improve a person’s brain activity, but also tell him a lot of unique and very important information about himself. This method is our course on self-development, which includes both a powerful theoretical base and many tests and exercises, the purpose of which is to know and develop yourself. Hurry up to get acquainted with our course - you can find it at.

Learn and live wisely!

By this is meant the ability of a person to perceive and process information coming from the outside world. Psychologists use this concept as characterizing the mental processes of a person, and especially the definition refers to the various intentions of a person, his desires or beliefs. If the term is used in a broad sense, then it means knowledge, or the act of knowing. Interpretations are possible in a social and cultural sense when it comes to the so-called becoming of certain concepts and knowledge, expressed in action and thoughts. Such a concept as cognitive processes is often applied to the perception of action, memory, imagination.

Cognitive functions play a special role in the mental development of a person, and their impairment is the most common neurological symptom. Since cognitive functions are directly related to the activity of the brain, cognitive impairment can naturally develop if there are diffuse and focal lesions of the brain. Quite often, cognitive disorders are found in older people. According to statistics, up to twenty percent of patients over the age of sixty-five suffer from rather severe cognitive disorders in the form of dementia.

Milder cognitive disorders in the elderly are even more common, according to some estimates, this is from forty to eighty percent of patients, taking into account age. Currently, there is a trend towards a significant increase in life expectancy, and therefore there are more elderly people in the population. At the same time, the problem of cognitive impairment is becoming increasingly popular, and is becoming relevant not only for neurologists, but also for other medical professionals. Cognitive functions doctors call the functions of the brain, which are especially complex, with their help, there is a rational knowledge of the world. Cognitive functions are speech, memory, gnosis, praxis, and of course, intellect.

Causes of cognitive impairment

Currently, experts have proven that cognition is the work of the brain, and the opinion is not denied that the nature of any cognitive processes is controlled by the brain. However, the theory of cognition does not in all cases define these processes as associated with brain activity, as well as with other manifestations. Recent research by scientists in the field of cognitive science has been aimed at finding out exactly how the human brain processes information. These studies help to understand what causes influence the occurrence of cognitive impairment. They can be identified by contacting a specialist who will establish a nosological diagnosis.

Moreover, it is always taken into account that any cognitive disorder is not always due to a primary brain disease. For example, cognitive impairment such as dementia can occur as a result of a systemic dysmetabolic disorder, which, in turn, is a complication of various diseases of the somatic or endocrine type. Also, the cause of impaired cognition, which has a dysmetabolic nature, is kidney disease, folic acid deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, liver disease, and hypothyroidism. In this regard, the identification of various cognitive impairments requires a full examination, and in the first place is the treatment of endocrine or somatic diseases that the patient has. Cognitive impairment can be caused by heart failure, metabolic disorders, alcohol or any other poisoning.

Perhaps the cause of impaired cognitive function is the emotional sphere. Therefore, all patients with complaints of reduced memory and other problems associated with brain activity should be examined in this direction. Often the cause lies in a depressive state, and this applies to patients of any age. Sometimes there is no objective confirmation of cognitive impairment, so the screening scales used in the diagnosis are not sensitive enough. In this regard, to identify the cause of the violation, not only an assessment of the emotional state is required, but it is also necessary to conduct repeated studies conducted at intervals of several days.

Treatment of cognitive impairment

Experts believe that indicators of cognition should be taken on a very individual basis, since it is known that from time to time each person may experience certain cognitive impairments. In this regard, it is not necessary to raise the alarm in isolated cases of impaired memory or perception. Nevertheless, if the symptoms began to recur more often, and this is noticeable to others, then it is worth contacting a neurological clinic in order to check the functioning of the brain. The peculiarity of cognitive impairments is that they do not go away on their own, and if treatment is not carried out, the violations will only intensify. Sometimes cognition can be so impaired that dementia occurs.

Before starting treatment, the patient is assigned neuropsychological testing, which is a method of objectifying cognitive impairment. These tests allow the patient to perform certain memorization exercises, as well as the reproduction of pictures, words. The tests contain tasks that test concentration. Based on this study, the state of the patient's cognitive functions is determined, and the doctor decides on the methods of further treatment. In this case, the therapeutic tactics is chosen based on the severity of the identified violations, their etiology is taken into account, and other factors, such as the age of the patient, a number of concomitant diseases.