Cognitive Processes in Humans

One of the most interesting aspects of humans is their ability to think, their cognitive processes that make problem solving and decision making possible. Cognitive processes that allow humans to be able to identify new stimuli without extensive thought or study. Cognitive processes that allow humans to manage their world in a fairly easy and very orderly manner.

Humans are also able to process information and manage it in a way that makes understanding the world a lot easier. Often without realizing it, humans work in a number of ways to process new information. One way to do that is through the use of concepts. Concepts are a means of categorizing information, such as calling all knives, knives even if they look different. In this way we can understand what a knife is for no matter where we find it. This is a means of categorizing information. Concepts allow us to understand the meaning or significance of something without having to actually go through the process of learning the information. For example, since I already know what a chair looks like when I come across a folding chair for the first time I can easily make the link to it also being a chair and serving the same function. Additionally, humans create relationships between objects in order to better understand them. For example, we associate something sharp with being dangerous, or more specifically being able to cut the skin. Thus, when we see something sharp we are able to avoid it and avoid injury. Without this sort of information organization, humans would be at a significantly higher risk for injury. It would almost be as though you were a child again, free to touch whatever with no inhibitions. However, as an adult with no one there to protect you, you'd probably experience a great deal of problems.