A Brain Teaser for each Cognitive Ability

You have probably heard about cognitive abilities or cognition. What is cognition? Cognition has to do with how a person understands and acts in the world. It is a set of processes that are part of nearly every human action. Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. They have more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, problem-solve, and pay attention rather than with any actual knowledge. Any task can be broken down into the different cognitive skills or functions needed to complete that task successfully.

The fields of neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and thus cognitive training are based on the framework that cognition consists of different mental functions or cognitive abilities which are based on specific constellations of brain structures. In the table below, you can browse through the main brain functions involved in cognition. You will also find brain teasers that will help you challenge all the cognitive abilities described: Learn and have fun!

Cognitive Ability/Brain Function	Skills involved
Perception	Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli. Brain challenges: Is this a circle? Catch the number
Attention	Ability to sustain concentration on a particular object, action, or thought. Ability to manage competing demands in our environment. Brain challenges: Count the letters Spot the differences Awareness test
Memory	Short-term/ working memory (limited storage). Long-term memory (unlimited storage). Brain challenges: Can you do better than a chimp? 5 games to test your memory
Motor	Ability to mobilize our muscles and bodies. Ability to manipulate objects. Brain challenges: Tap your right hand on the table. At the same time, make a circular movement with your left hand (as if you were cleaning the table) Switch hands
Language and Auditory Processing	Skills allowing us to differentiate and comprehend sounds and generate verbal output. Brain challenges: Words associations What is the word?
Visual and Spatial Processing	Ability to process incoming visual stimuli. Ability to visualize images and scenarios. Brain challenges: Build the box Which piece is missing?
Executive Functions	Abilities that enable goal-oriented behavior, such as the ability to plan, and execute a goal. These include: Flexibility: the capacity for quickly switching to the appropriate mental mode. Theory of mind: insight into other people’s inner world, their plans, their likes and dislikes. Anticipation: prediction based on pattern recognition. Problem-solving: defining the problem in the right way to then generate solutions and pick the right one. Decision making: the ability to make decisions based on problem-solving, on incomplete information and on emotions (ours and others’). Working Memory: the capacity to hold and manipulate information “on-line” in real time. Emotional self-regulation: the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions for good performance. Sequencing: the ability to break down complex actions into manageable units and prioritize them in the right order. Inhibition: the ability to withstand distraction, and internal urges. Brain challenges: Sunday afternoon quiz Which way is the bus going? Tipping the scales The empty triangle The Tower of Hanoi

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This online resource is based on the content from the book The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (May 2009, $19.95), by Alvaro Fernandez and Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg.

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