What is cognition and why it is important?

What’s on your mind?

A staple of the human service sector is the idea of understanding a person’s cognition.

Cognition has been described as, the mental processes that happen in the brain,

Including.

Where our attention is focused, what we think about, the use of language, how we learn, our memory and our unique perception of the life we live.

In human service this becomes very important as measuring these things helps us to understand what is realistically possible for a client to achieve and the best way, we can tailor our communications with them on the road to realising their goals.

Currently there are four key measures used to understand a person’s cognition by the psychiatric profession.

1. IQ – Intelligence Quotient * (Quotient is like the word Quantity)

You use IQ to solve maths, recall information and commit things to memory.

• EQ – Emotional Quotient

 You use EQ to keep the peace with others, have honesty with others, be appropriately humble, be honest, take responsibility, be on time and genuine consideration of others.

• SQ – Social Quotient

Your ability to build and maintain a network of friends.

And now, quite recently:

• AQ – Adversity Quotient

This measure is about your ‘bounce back ability’. When faced with hardship in life are you able to move forward and survive the hardship.

So, when you’re studying with us or on shift and you hear about a person’s cognition, the meaning behind that term includes all of the above.

The actual assessment tool is written, tested for reliability and validity by qualified psychiatric professionals, however you might be asked to conduct or contribute to an assessment process in you daily work….

So, what’s on your mind? There is a way to find out!