Abstract

Cognition is the flexible coupling of perception and action. Whether direct or complex, this coupling depends on representing information and operating upon it. Thus, representation and its partner, processing, are the most fundamental of ideas in cognitive science. Representations are the bundles of information on which processes operate. Cognitive processes such as perception and attention encode information from the world, thus creating or changing our representations. Processes of reasoning and decision making operate on representations to form new beliefs and to specify particular actions. Process refers to the dynamic use of information. Representation refers to the information available for use. Loosely speaking, representations include the ideas, sights, images, and beliefs that fill our thoughts and also the sensations and dispositions which may fall outside our awareness. Because representation is such a central concept in cognitive science, the term is used in a number of related senses, and I will note a couple of these more specialized uses as the need arises.