Cognitive abilities - this is a factor in the development of personality, the transition from ignorance to knowledge. At any age, a person learns something new. He receives the necessary knowledge in various fields and directions, accepting and processing information from the world around him. In childhood and adulthood, cognitive abilities can and should be developed. This will be discussed later.
General definition
Cognitive abilities are the development of intelligence and knowledge acquisition processes. They find themselves in the process of successfully solving various tasks and problems. Such abilities have the property to develop, which determines the degree to which a person assimilates new knowledge.
Cognitive activity of a person is possible due to the fact that he has the ability to reflect reality in his mind. Cognitive abilities are a consequence of both biological and social evolution of man. Both at younger and older ages they are based on curiosity. This is a kind of motivation for thinking.
Mental abilities of a person participate both in cognitive activity and in the processing of information received by our consciousness. Thinking is the perfect tool for this. Cognition and transformation of information are different processes that occur at the mental level. Thinking carries out their interaction.
Cognitive abilities are processes that reflect and translate the material into an ideal plan. When thought penetrates the essence of the object of thinking, understanding comes.
The motivation for the implementation of cognitive activity is curiosity. This is a craving for new information. Curiosity is a manifestation of cognitive interest. With its help, both spontaneous and orderly cognition of the world occurs. Such activities are not always safe. This is especially noticeable in childhood.
For example, the cognitive abilities of preschool children are predominantly spontaneous. The child seeks new objects and modes of action, which he subsequently implements, wants to get into a new space. This sometimes leads to problems and difficulties, it can be unsafe. Therefore, adults begin to prohibit this type of activity for the child. Parents can react contradictory to the curiosity of the child. This leaves an imprint on the baby's behavior.
Some children will seek to investigate even a dangerous object, while others will not take a step in its direction. Parents must satisfy the craving of the baby for new knowledge. Make it as safe as possible, but in a visual way. Otherwise, cognitive abilities will either decrease due to limiting fear, or will develop into an uncontrolled process, when a child without parental knowledge will try to get the information he is interested in. In both cases, this will negatively affect the process of cognition of the world by the child.
Types of knowledge
Cognitive abilities studied by many philosophers, teachers of the past and present. As a result, three types of development of such skills were identified:
- Concrete-sensory knowledge.
- Abstract (rational) thinking.
- Intuition.
During the development of cognitive and creative abilities, specific-sensory skills are acquired. They are also characteristic of representatives of the animal world. But in the course of evolution, humans developed specific sensory-sensitive skills. The human senses are adapted to carry out activities in the macrocosm. For this reason, micro- and megaworlds are not available with sensory cognition. Man received three forms of reflection of the surrounding reality through such knowledge:
- Feel;
- perceptions;
- representation.
Sensations are a form of sensory reflection of the individual properties of objects, their components or separately taken. By perception is meant obtaining information about the properties of an object. Like sensation, it arises in the process of interaction with the studied object.
By analyzing sensations, one can distinguish primary and secondary qualities that are perceived by a person on a sensual level. The result of internal interactions are objective qualities, and dispositional ones are the effect of external interactions. Both of these categories are objective.
Feeling and perception allows you to form an image. Moreover, each of these approaches has certain approaches to its creation. The non-graphic image creates sensation, and the graphic - perception. Moreover, the image does not always coincide with the original object of study, but it always corresponds to it. An image cannot be an exact reflection of an object. But he is not a sign. The image is consistent and consistent with the object. Sensory experience for this reason is limited by situational and personal perception.
To expand the boundaries, knowledge goes through the stage of presentation. This form of sensory reflection allows you to combine images, as well as their individual elements. At the same time, direct action with objects is not required.
Cognitive abilities are sensory reflections of reality, which allow you to create a visual image. This is the idea that allows you to save and if necessary reproduce in the human mind an object without direct contact with him. The first point in the formation and development of cognitive abilities is precisely sensory knowledge. With it, a person can master the idea of an object in practice.
Rational knowledge
Abstract thinking or rational knowledge arises in the process of communicative or labor activity of people.
Social and cognitive abilities develop comprehensively with thinking and language. There are three forms in this category:
- concept;
- judgment;
- inference.
A concept is the result of distinguishing a certain class of generalized objects according to a certain commonality of attributes. Moreover, judgment is a form of the thought process during which concepts are connected, and after that something is affirmed or denied. The conclusion is reasoning, in the process of which a new judgment is adopted.
Cognitive abilities and cognitive activity in the field of abstract thinking has a number of differences from sensory perception:
- The subjects reflect their general pattern. In sensory perception, there is no differentiation in individual objects of single or common signs. Therefore, they merge into a single image.
- Essentials stand out in subjects. With sensual reflection, there is no such distinction, since information is perceived in a complex.
- It is possible to construct on the basis of previous knowledge the essence of the idea, which is subject to objectification.
- Cognition of reality occurs indirectly. This can happen with the help of sensitive reflection or by inference, reasoning, using special devices.
It is worth noting that cognitive abilities are a symbiosis of rational and sensory perception. They cannot be perceived as eliminated stages of one process, since these processes permeate each other. Sensory-sensitive cognition is carried out through abstract thinking. And vice versa. Rational knowledge cannot be produced without sensory reflection.
Abstract thinking applies two categories of operating its content. They are expressed in the form of judgments, concepts and conclusions. These categories are understanding and explanation. The second of them provides a transition from general to specific knowledge. Explanations may be functional, structural, and causal.
Understanding is correlated with meaning and meaning, and also involves a number of the following procedures:
- Interpretation. Attributing the initial information of meaning and meaning.
- Reinterpretation. Change or clarification of the meaning and meaning.
- Convergence. Combining disparate data.
- Divergence. Separation of a single meaning before into separate subcategories.
- Conversion. Modification in the qualitative direction of meaning and meaning, their radical transformation.
In order for the information to pass from explanation to understanding, many procedures take place. Such operations provide a multiple process of data conversion, which allows you to move from ignorance to knowledge.
Intuition
The formation of cognitive abilities goes through another stage. This is getting intuitive information. For this, a person is guided by unconscious, instinctive processes. Intuition cannot relate to sensory perception, but they can be related. For example, a sensory-sensitive intuition is the assertion that straight lines running in parallel do not intersect.
Intellectual intuition allows you to penetrate the essence of things. Although the very idea of this process may have a religious-mystical origin, since earlier it was used for direct knowledge of the divine principle. In the rationalism of the New Age, this category was recognized as the highest form of knowledge. It was believed that she operates directly with the ultimate categories, the essence of things themselves.
Among the main cognitive abilities in post-classical philosophy, it was intuition that began to be regarded as a way of irrational interpretation of objects and phenomena. She was religiously colored.
Modern science cannot neglect this category, since the fact of the existence of intellectual intuition is confirmed by the experience of natural science creativity, for example, in the works of Tesla, Einstein, Botkin, etc.
Intellectual intuition has several features. The truth is comprehended directly at the essential level of the studied objects, but the tasks can be solved unexpectedly, the paths are chosen unconsciously, as well as the means to solve them. Intuition is the ability to comprehend the truth through its direct vision without justification and evidence.
This ability has developed in humans due to the need to make quick decisions in conditions of incomplete information. Therefore, such a result can be regarded as a probabilistic response to existing environmental conditions. In this case, a person can acquire both a true and an erroneous statement.
Intuition is formed by several factors that are the result of thorough thorough preparation and in-depth knowledge of the problem. Search situations are emerging, search dominants appear as a result of continuous attempts to solve the problem. This is a kind of "clue" that a person receives on the path to knowing the truth.
Categories of Intellectual Intuition
Considering the concept of cognitive abilities, it is worth paying attention to such a component as intellectual intuition. It has several components and can be:
- Standardized. It is also called intuition reduction. In the process of comprehending a certain phenomenon, probabilistic mechanisms are applied that establish their own framework for the process under study. A specific matrix is formed. For example, it can be a correct diagnosis of external manifestations, without the use of other methods.
- Creative (heuristic). As a result of such cognitive activity radically new images are formed, knowledge appears that did not exist before. Two subtypes of intuition stand out in this category. It can be eidetic or conceptual. In the first case, the transition from a concept to a sensual image occurs through intuition abruptly. Conceptual intuition does not generalize the transition to images.
Based on this, a new concept is highlighted. This is creative intuition, which is a specific cognitive process, which is the interaction of sensory images and abstract thinking. Such a symbiosis leads to the formation of new concepts and knowledge, the contents of which cannot be deduced through a simple synthesis of old perceptions. Also, new images cannot be deduced by operating with existing logical concepts.
Cognitive development
Cognitive abilities are skills that can and should be developed. This process begins at a very young age. The basis of the entire learning process is the development of cognitive abilities. This is the activity of the child, which he shows in the course of mastering new knowledge.
Preschoolers are curious, which helps them to learn the structure of the world. This is a natural need during development. Kids not only strive to receive new information, but also to deepen their knowledge. They are looking for answers to questions. Cognitive interest should be encouraged, developed by parents. It depends on how the baby will learn further.
The cognitive abilities of preschool children can be developed in various ways. The most effective is reading books. The stories told in them allow the child to know the world around him, phenomena that the child cannot really get acquainted with. It is important to choose books appropriate to the age of the baby.
So, at 2-3 years old, the kid is interested in listening to fairy tales, science fiction stories, stories about nature and animals. When the child is a little older, he will identify with the main character, so you can read stories about obedient children who adhere to the rules of hygiene, are interested in the phenomena happening around.
The cognitive abilities of a child of preschool age can be developed in the form of outdoor, story games. So he will build relationships with others, interact, be part of the team. The game should teach the child logic, analysis, comparisons, etc.
From the first year of life, children can learn to stack pyramids, cubes, puzzles. When the child turns 2 years old, he already masters the skills of interaction with others. The game allows you to socialize, learn partnerships. Classes should be lively, interesting. You need to play with both peers and with older children, adults.
At 4-6 years old, the child should be an active participant in outdoor games. Developing physically, the baby sets himself goals, seeks to achieve them. Leisure should be filled with different emotions and impressions. You need to walk more often in nature, attend concerts, performances, circus performances. Creativity is required. This instills curiosity and interest in the world that surrounds us. This is the key to the development of personality, educational abilities.
Primary school age
Cognitive abilities of a person of different ages develop differently. This must be taken into account in order to stimulate such activities. At primary school age, the development of randomness of cognitive abilities. Thanks to acquaintance with different disciplines, the horizons of the baby develop. In this process, curiosity aimed at the knowledge of the surrounding world takes not the last place.
Cognitive abilities of students of different ages are not the same. Until the 2nd grade, children love to learn something new about animals and plants. By the 4th grade, kids begin to become interested in history, human development, and social phenomena. But it must be borne in mind that there are individual characteristics for each child. So, for example, the cognitive abilities in elementary school for gifted children are stable, and interests are wide. This is manifested by a passion for different, sometimes not related at all objects. It can also be a continued passion for one thing.
Far from always innate curiosity grows into an interest in knowledge. But this is precisely what is necessary so that the material of the school curriculum is assimilated by the child. The researcher’s position, taken even in preschool age, helps in the elementary grades and in the future, facilitating the process of perceiving new knowledge. Independence is formed in the process of searching for information, as well as, importantly, in decision making.
The cognitive abilities of younger students are manifested in the study of surrounding things, the desire for experimentation. The child learns to put forward hypotheses, ask questions.To interest the student, the learning process should be intense and fun. He should experience the joy of self-discovery.
Cognitive independence
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- Naturalness.The problem that the student solves in the course of independent research should be real, relevant. Cleverness, artificiality are not of interest in both children and adults.
- Mindfulness. Problems, tasks and goals, as well as the approach to research should be reflected.
- Amateur activities. The schoolchild takes possession of the course of the study only if he lives this situation, gets his own experience. If you listen to the description of the subject many times, you can still not understand its basic qualities. Only by seeing it with your own eyes can you add up your idea of the object.
- Visibility. This principle is best implemented in the field, when the student explores the world not according to information in the book, but in reality. Moreover, in books some facts may be distorted.
- Cultural compatibility. In every culture there is a tradition of understanding of the world. Therefore, during the training it must be taken into account. This is a feature of interaction that exists in a particular social community.
The cognitive abilities of primary schoolchildren develop if the problem has personal value. It should correspond to the interests and needs of the student. Therefore, in the course of posing the problem, the teacher must take into account the individual and age-specific characteristics of children.
It is worth considering that at primary school age in children unstable processes of cognition. Therefore, the problems posed should be local, dynamic. Forms of cognitive work should be formed taking into account the peculiarities of thinking of children of this age.
What should a teacher be able to do?
The development of a person’s cognitive abilities largely depends on the approach of his teacher to the process of organizing this process. To stimulate interest in research, the teacher should be able to:
- Create an environment in which the student will be forced to make an independent decision in a multi-version environment. The student will be able to complete the task on the basis of the research work.
- Communication with students should be arranged in the form of dialogue.
- To provoke the emergence of questions among students, as well as the desire to seek answers to them.
- The teacher must build trusting relationships with students. To do this, resort to the contract, mutual responsibility.
- Take into account the interests and motivations of the child and their own.
- To give the student the right to make important decisions for him.
- The teacher must develop open thinking. It is necessary to experiment and improvise, to seek a solution to the problem with the students.