Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary study of the mind and its processes such as how we make decisions, how we use language, how we interact socially with others and how memory works. As cognitive processes are very complex, Cognitive Science combines approaches from multiple disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, philosophy and AI to investigate them. 

People have always tried to understand the mind, but Cognitive Science as a field gained popularity in the 1950s, when researchers from different fields started developing theories based on computational procedures and complex representations during the so-called Cognitive Revolution. 

Cognitive Science is relevant in many areas of life, as humans use cognitive processes all the time – memory, perception, language, emotions and problem solving are a few examples. It is therefore important to understand more about these processes, since the more we understand, the better solutions we can develop, whether that’s educational programs or building smarter, more user-friendly devices, or advancing treatment for Parkinson’s disease. For this reason, Cognitive Science uses an interdisciplinary approach, as well as empirical studies with human subjects. 

At our Center, cognitive science informs the way we design our games, tools and interventions. Within several of our consortia of interdisciplinary researchers from around the world, we conduct both theoretical and experimental work in cognitive science.