Consciousness and cognition are difficult to define and test, but are thought to originate in the brain. Self-recognition in a mirror is a sign of consciousness, while cognition involves skills such as problem-solving. Social exchange is also a part of consciousness and cognition, but not a sufficient criterion. The continuity of self-awareness is preserved despite changes in physical site, and children assume consciousness is continuous and without boundaries.
Consciousness and cognition are terms used to describe certain attributes of the personality or mind. Awareness of one’s environment, others, and oneself is considered consciousness. Cognition has multiple meanings in various disciplines. In general, cognitive skills are those involved in remembering, thinking abstractly, or solving problems. Humans claim to have both consciousness and cognition.
Testing or discerning consciousness and cognition is difficult; even unambiguous definitions are hard to come by. A sign of consciousness is the ability to self-recognize in a mirror. A baby develops this ability within the first 18-24 months of life. Chimpanzees and monkeys are known to have this attribute, as are dolphins and elephants.
Cognition isn’t just a neuronal signal, as happens when a dog thinks it’s staying still when it’s told to stay. Training of this nature appears to occur at a lower level of brain activity. It could be argued, however, that when a dog grieves for a missing owner, he is surely remembering some experience. Is he actively and consciously thinking about the owner and is aware that something is wrong or uncomfortable? Consciousness and cognition are difficult to separate in this case.
Elephants have a strong matriarchal society. Female elephants who have lost a calf will mourn the calf for years, returning to touch or stroke the bones. The herds suffered when they were driven from their communities. Social exchange appears to be a part of consciousness and cognition, though not a sufficient criterion. Ants and bees, while very social, are not thought of as conscious beings.
Consciousness and cognition are thought to originate in the brain, but after years of imaging studies around the world, no definitive structures have been identified. Rather, some different brain activity may be involved, which raises the question of how is the continuity of self-awareness preserved when its physical site changes? One theorist, Stan Franklin of the University of Memphis, who has developed a software program to mimic consciousness, likens the link between consciousness and cognition to a two-part computer program. In the first stage, the sensory system collects data that is processed in particular areas. When sufficient data has been accumulated, it is transmitted to multiple processing stations.
Another aspect of consciousness and cognition is the observation that children assume that consciousness is continuous and without boundaries. Similar tales for children around the world have characters transformed into animals or plants and transformed again. An example is the frog prince who waits for a kiss from a princess to return to her original state. The child does not lose track of the character’s identity nor does he doubt that his existence is uninterrupted. This continuity is at the heart of self-awareness.
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