Open Encyclopedia
of Cognitive Science
A multidisciplinary guide to understanding the mind. A freely-available, growing collection of peer-reviewed articles introducing key topics to a broad audience of students and scholars.
Published by MIT Press · ISSN 3066-7879
Why an Open Encyclopedia?
The Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science provides freely-available, peer-reviewed introductions to key topics for students, scholars, and curious minds. Each article is written by leading researchers and reviewed by expert section editors, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
Learn more about OECS →Explore the Encyclopedia
203 articles connected by 807 cross-references. Visualize the network, browse the matrix, and discover patterns.
Featured Articles
Discover peer-reviewed entries on cognitive science
4E Cognition
Albert Newen, Shaun Gallagher
4E cognition refers to the idea that cognition is embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended. Each of these four theses has been advanced in opposition to the idea that cognition is primarily a matter of what goes on in the head, and each draws attention to the fact that the body and the world play a
Causal Learning
Alison Gopnik
Learning about the causal structure of the world is a fundamental problem for human cognition. Over the past 20 years, cognitive scientists have applied advances in our understanding of causation in philosophy and computer science, particularly within the Causal Bayes Net formalism, to understand hu
Ritual
Richard Sosis
Rituals are patterns of behavior, ranging from handshakes that seal a business deal to singing anthems before sporting events and the hand-clasp greetings of chimpanzees. They include initiation rites, such as baptisms and bar mitzvahs, and they often demarcate major life events, such as weddings an
Sentence Processing
Matthew Wagers, Brian Dillon
Sentence processing is the study of how humans understand sentences. The central question is how we recognize and interpret compositional linguistic material—the larger, new expressions built up from smaller, familiar parts. Sentences are a major locus of novel composition, but so are phrases and ev
Supervenience
Karen Bennett
Philosophers and cognitive scientists sometimes say that one phenomenon obtains in virtue of some other phenomenon. While expressions like this can indicate causation, they are also frequently used in a more synchronic and constitutive way that suggests connections between phenomena at different “le
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Hilary Richardson
Developmental cognitive neuroscientists study the baby, child, and adolescent brain to learn when and how cognition develops. Neuroscience techniques—electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (
“The OECS has pulled off the magic trick of transforming The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences into a renewed, dynamic online resource. The editors have thoughtfully focused on many of the most central topics in the field and have recruited key players to write well-crafted and informed entries. Supported by an excellent online interface run by The MIT Press, this constantly updated and expanding resource will become invaluable for the cognitive science community.”
“Systematically explore the science of the mind, or wander freely through its landmark topics––it’s your choice. Wherever you land in the OECS, you’ll find an authoritative yet accessible overview of key concepts and hot debates that make cognitive science an exciting field.”