Cognition | Psychology Today

Learning occurs via a number of pathways, such as association—if two stimuli are repeatedly paired together, a person or animal will learn that they go together and shift their behavior or expectations accordingly. Learning also happens via socialization.

Evaluating one’s thinking style or problem-solving processes may help someone identify cognitive biases that are interfering with their decision-making. Metacognition may also help them identify areas where their knowledge or comprehension is lacking.

Some evidence suggests that articulating one’s thoughts out loud can improve concentration in certain high-pressure situations, such as during a competition . 

Other areas of interest include cognitive biases, such as humans’ tendency to engage in stereotyping and self-serving biases (believing that one is above average on many traits). Isolate and understand biases.

Common examples of cognitive biases include confirmation bias , or the tendency to search for information that supports what one already believes, and anchoring bias , in which someone gives undue weight to the first piece of information they receive, even if it’s incorrect or incomplete.