cognition vs knowledge

[vectra]

Hello,

I am just compiling word lists for my students on Headmagnet | Get stuff in your head and keep it there!.
A very useful site to help students to keep a lot of words in their heads.
The word I have just entered is 'cognition'.
Here are the definitions I found and supplied:
1. the act or process of knowing; perception.
2. the product of such a process; something thus known, perceived, etc.
3. knowledge.

In the Hint section I gave this example:

Television frequently causes a loss of cognition and general decrease in attention span when viewed too often, especially by children.

The question is: will it be OK to change the word 'cognition' in the example sentence for the word 'knowledge'.
Knowing my students, I am sure they will choose 'knowledge' for the simplicity's sake.

Thank you for the time and help.

 

[probus]

You can not substitute knowledge for cognition. Cognition means understanding, something quite distinct from knowledge.

I would also strongly disagree with the statement about television and children. In my experience, watching television increases cognition in children enormously.

 

[vectra]

Hello Probus,

I see eye to eye with you on the 'cognition-knowledge substitution' stuff.
Cognition is much wider, and is closer to 'perception.
As for the meaning of the example sentence - I borrowed it from one site; it was supplied by one of the participants of a contest how to use the word 'cognition' in a context.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

 

[freezeframe]

Just a general comment.

I don't know who your students are or what level but cognition is a fairly advanced word. I never hear it outside of the university.

 

[konungursvia]

I don't think cognition means knowledge or understanding, but the processes of the brain by which they are used, tested, and increased.

 

[vectra]

Hello,

Thank you for your posts. I have been enlightened, but I will remove the word 'cognition' from the word list for my students. Too complicated. They are freshman year students majoring in international economics; they are diligent and most of them are hard-working, but such words might be too much for them.

 

[probus]

I don't think cognition means knowledge or understanding, but the processes of the brain by which they are used, tested, and increased.

Thank you for instructing me konungursvi. But I think you did not consider adequately who was asking the question.

 

[5jj]

Thank you for instructing me konungursvi. But I think you did not consider adequately who was asking the question.

It does not matter who asks the question - we should give a correct answer, as konungursvia did, in my opinion.

 

[Khosro]

Hello,

Thank you for your posts. I have been enlightened, but I will remove the word 'cognition' from the word list for my students. Too complicated. They are freshman year students majoring in international economics; they are diligent and most of them are hard-working, but such words might be too much for them.

It is not too complicated for a freshman majoring in international economics. international economics is much more complicated in my view!
But first you should have answers to some questions:

1- What is your criteria for choosing or not choosing a word for your list? Why cognition? Or why not cognition?

2- What are your resources? Which dictionaries are creditable?

3-What is your strategy for defining a word?

Concerning the third question I think it useful to determine the contexts and fields in which this term is common. Wikipedia lists some of them:

fields of linguistics, anesthesia, neurology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, systemics, computer science and creed.

Concerning the first question I may point to a field named "cognitive economics". It might be more interesting for an economics student to learn about "cognition" by means of "cognitive economy":

"Therefore the central questions that confront economists in cognitive sceince are not only
how human beings learn and meld beliefs and preferences to reach decisions and hence the
choices that underlie economic theory but also how and why do they develop theories in the face
of pure uncertainty, what makes those theories spread amongst a population or die out, and why​

do humans believe in them and act upon them?"

 

[freezeframe]

Cognitive economics would be a difficult concept for most English speaking first year students. Wouldn't they learn terminology for their field in their subject courses, not in an English language course?

 

[vectra]

Hello everyone,

I am a little embarrassed by the feedback my question about the word 'cognition' has created.
The truth is I am hooked on using IT in the classroom. I enjoy creating educational videos based on news bulletins or interesting stories uploaded on various video sharing sites, inviting students to record themselves retelling the news or stories and upload their reports in MP3 files on our wikis.
I also encourage them to take part in talking groups I create on educational sites, again recording their ideas or thoughts on that or another issue.
This time I was trying a new program which helps you make lists of words you would like to memorize; apart from that it helps you to make lists of quotes and so on.
And right at that time I was trying to make a video based on the article 'The 4 Types of Teams All Leaders Need to Understand' by Thomas A. Stewart, April 5, 2011 BNET - The CBS Interactive Business Network. Here is the very paragraph I came across this word in:
Problem solvers. One reason to team up is to crack a tough problem, because when it comes to banging against a wall, two heads are better than one, and seven or eight are better still. Juries are problem-solvers. So are teams of analysts. These teams need a clear goal–a problem and a deadline. They want diversity of sex, background, and cognition, and not just tokenism.

As I wanted to learn more about the word 'cognition', I posted a question, and was about to enter it in a word list just to stir my students' curiosity. As black and white as that.
As for learning all these 'economics' terms, they do study them under the guidance of professors who read theoretical subjects.
I have nothing to do with them. I teach ESP and just try to keep my students on toes by exposing them to a whole range of web applications, aimed at helping them learn English better.
I take my hat off to you all for pushing me in the right direction.

Thank you a lot again and I really am sorry for posting a badly thought-out question.

 

[freezeframe]

And right at that time I was trying to make a video based on the article 'The 4 Types of Teams All Leaders Need to Understand' by Thomas A. Stewart, April 5, 2011 BNET - The CBS Interactive Business Network. Here is the very paragraph I came across this word in:
Problem solvers. One reason to team up is to crack a tough problem, because when it comes to banging against a wall, two heads are better than one, and seven or eight are better still. Juries are problem-solvers. So are teams of analysts. These teams need a clear goal–a problem and a deadline. They want diversity of sex, background, and cognition, and not just tokenism.

I believe this is a case of someone trying to use an impressively sounding word instead of a simple one and, in the process, misusing the said impressively sounding word.

 

[probus]

Of course it matters who is asking the question. An obvious example is a beginning student who has run across the subjunctive mood and asks about it. It's pretty useless to try to explain to somebody at that stage of learning.

In my opinion, cognition is a technical term. It has a technical meaning and if one wishes to insist on that meaning one should point out that one is being technical. In everyday non-technical usage I still think cognition indicates understanding as opposed to knowledge.

 

[5jj]

Of course it matters who is asking the question. An obvious example is a beginning student who has run across the subjunctive mood and asks about it. It's pretty useless to try to explain to somebody at that stage of learning.

Well, I don't try to judge whether or not a person who asks a question is capable of understanding my response. I leave it to them to tell me if they need clarification of anything I have written.

I also remember that other people see the answers. As I began this post, I noted that 141 people had viewed the thread. They, too, are interested in reading a correct answer.

 

[freezeframe]

Well, I don't try to judge whether or not a person who asks a question is capable of understanding my response. I leave it to them to tell me if they need clarification of anything I have written.

I also remember that other people see the answers. As I began this post, I noted that 141 people had viewed the thread. They, too, are interested in reading a correct answer.

Maybe it's just different approaches to teaching. I like to teach with terms as simple as possible. But I'm also aware that what I consider to be "as simple as possible" in my field is completely incomprehensible to majority of people. :-?

 

[konungursvia]

For a good understanding of comprehension, I recommend Dilthey: Edification of the Historical World in the Sciences of the Mind. For a good understanding of cognition, I recommend Vygotsky: Thought and Language.

 

[Khosro]

For a good understanding of comprehension, I recommend Dilthey: Edification of the Historical World in the Sciences of the Mind. For a good understanding of cognition, I recommend Vygotsky: Thought and Language.

Thank you for both books. Vygotsky book is a very interesting one when it comes to language. The second one is yet too expensive to buy and the odd thing is that it is translated as "edification of the historical world in the human sciences".

 

[konungursvia]

Thank you for both books. Vygotsky book is a very interesting one when it comes to language. The second one is yet too expensive to buy and the odd thing is that it is translated as "edification of the historical world in the human sciences".

Yes, I was just quoting the title as I thought it may be in English, I read it in French in an ENS translation at the EHESS: Edification du monde historique dans les sciences de l'esprit.

 

[probus]

It does not matter who asks the questionQUOTE]

I do not believe you for one minute. (!) Every time you or I open our mouths, we have an intended audience in mind.

 

[5jj]

I do not believe you for one minute. (!) Every time you or I open our mouths, we have an intended audience in mind.

Whether or not you believe me is of no interest to me. Your second sentence is, in any case irrelevant. I type with my mouth closed.