Summary:

Cognition refers to mental processes like thinking, learning, attention, and problem-solving, while intelligence is the practical application of these processes in real-life situations. Cognition emphasizes acquiring and organizing knowledge, often shaped by senses, memory, and experiences. Intelligence involves adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, which are influenced by heredity, environment, and education. Though related, cognition and intelligence are distinct, with cognition focusing on processes and intelligence on measurable results.

What is the difference between cognition and intelligence:

Cognition and Intelligence:

1- Cognition Means:

Cognition is the name of the study of human mind activities or thought processes with the aim of learning new knowledge and skills. Cognition includes all kinds of mental functions such as paying attention, thinking, imagining, creating and solving problems etc. Human cognition is a broad field of study that includes topics such as memory, attention, social cognition, reasoning and problem solving.

 Cognition means to know. It is a general term that fully describes the process by which we become aware of our surrounding."

The process of cognition involves the senses as well as memory and thought. which not only organises in the light of past experiences, beliefs and motivational factors.

2- Definition of Cognition:

Various experts have given the following definitions of cognition:

(i) According to Pillsbury, cognition is the combination of sense and memory.

(ii) According to Morgan cognition is a name of recognizing, distinguishing, observing and understanding the meaning of things.

(iii) According to Zimbardo, cognition is the process that organizes the information received from the senses and interprets them. Thus the process of making sensory information meaningful is called cognition.

3- Intelligence Means:

Cognition is the process of thinking and knowing, while the application of this thinking and knowledge in real life is called intelligence. Intelligence includes both the acquisition of knowledge and the ability to apply it. This is why some psychologists include cognition in the realm of intelligence. Different disciplines define these terms differently, for example, cognitive experts will describe cognition in the context of information acquisition, while social psychologists will call this process social cognition. Cognitive and intelligence terms are also used as synonyms, although they are not exactly the same process, inspite of having a relation to each other.

Cognitive abilities can be improved by training in certain situations, while intelligence is generally considered a more stable and measurable attribute. Cognition as a whole emphasizes mental processes such as thinking, while intelligence is the result or product of these mental processes.

4- Meaning of Intelligence:

The word Intelligence is derived from two Latin words Intra (between) and Legere (to choose). Which means adapting the individual based on personal experiences keeping in mind the present and the future.

Intelligence includes a person's memory of various sensory experiences, accurate awareness of events and appropriate responses.

Intelligence is concerned with acting appropriately according to the situation. Getting good marks in exams is considered a sign of intelligence. Doing something new, creating innovation in the old work, getting an honor in the society, determining the highest goals, achieving perfection in poetry, painting, music, literature and other fine arts is also called intelligence. Therefore, taking appropriate and better behavior considering the requirements of the environment comes in the level of intelligence.

Intelligence is based on heredity but can be enhanced by proper care, effective environment and better education. It seems that the presence of an effective environment is also important for better intellectual development. Intelligence is an ability that cannot be directly observed. It can be expressed and measured only through indirect methods.

5- Definition of Intelligence:

(i)According to Binet Simon:

“Important psychological functions such as understanding and reasoning under circumstances are called intelligence."

(ii) According to Freeman:

“The ability of the individual to adapt to the environment is called intelligence."

(iii) According to Comb:

“Intelligence is the character capacity by which an individual perceives the situation and is able to effectively perceive the details, nature, and magnitude of environmental elements."

(iv)According to William Stern:

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt. Because of which the individual performs responsive functions according to the environment in the light of his cognitive experiences.”

It means intelligence refers to coping with new problems and new situations in life and achieving general compatibility. It is the ability that helps the individual to adapt more effectively and appropriately to any given situation. According to this view, a person is more intelligent who can adapt adequately to changing situations, and who can more effectively use multiple possible ways of coping with situations.

How a person in trouble solves his problem, how does he deal with a task at hand and how does a person achieve his goals in life. All these things indicate the personality and human abilities of a person. In common words, intelligence refers to the mental ability with the help of which a person understands a problem immediately. According to experts, this is the ability that enables humans to understand their environment and solve the problems faced in it.

According to Professor Knight, intelligence is the ability to know all the relevant information about a problem and create a connection of its different elements and avoid all unnecessary ideologies about it.

Words worth in his book “ Study of Cognitive Life” writes that intelligence is the correct use of ability.

There are different theories of cognitive growth in children, such as Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory, these theories emphasize the process of thinking rather than the outcome. On the other hand, Psychometric theory, emphasizes the outcome of the process.