Cognitive Processes Terminology

noun a thought or idea that occurs to someone after a conversation, event, or decision has already taken place

• The decision to include a disclaimer at the end of the contract was made as an afterthought.
• I added the extra toppings to my pizza as an afterthought.
• I totally forgot to grab my keys, it was such an afterthought.
• Her apology seemed like an afterthought, lacking sincerity.

verb to cause someone to remember or think about something

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The painting of the ocean always brings to mind a sense of tranquility and peace.
• Whenever I see a red sports car, it brings to mind that time we went on a road trip.
• Listening to that song always brings to mind the good old days.
• The smell of freshly baked bread can bring to mind memories of home and comfort.

noun a sensory perception that has no basis in external reality, typically as a result of a mental disorder or the effects of a drug

• The patient experienced a visual hallucination, seeing things that were not actually there.
• I thought I saw a ghost last night, but it turned out to be just a hallucination.
• Don't worry, it was just a hallucination, you're not going crazy.
• The mirage in the desert was like a hallucination, appearing and disappearing in the heat.

noun the act or process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something

verb the present participle of the verb 'think', which means to have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something

adjective relating to or involving thought or reasoning

• His thinking on the matter was quite profound and well-reasoned.
• I was just thinking about what to have for dinner tonight.
• I was thinking we could chill at my place later.
• Her thinking outside the box led to some innovative solutions.

noun the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes

• Metacognition refers to the ability to think about one's own thinking process.
• I've been working on improving my metacognition skills in order to study more effectively.
• Dude, you need to up your metacognition game if you want to ace that test.
• Just like a captain steers a ship, metacognition helps steer your thoughts in the right direction.