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cognitive process

any of the mental functions assumed to be involved in the acquisition, storage, interpretation, manipulation, transformation, and use of knowledge. These processes encompass such activities as attention, perception, learning, and problem solving and are commonly understood through several basic theories, including the serial processing approach, the parallel processing approach, and a combination theory, which assumes that cognitive processes are both serial and parallel, depending on the demands of the task. This term is often used synonymously with mental process.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

phantom

phantom

n.

1. an illusion without material substance.

2. the feeling that an amputated body part (e.g., a limb or breast) is still present. See breast-phantom phenomenon; phantom limb; pseudoesthesia.