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 the 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
208 articles connected by 840 cross-references. Visualize the network, browse the matrix, and discover patterns.
Featured Articles
Discover peer-reviewed entries on cognitive science
Multi-Representational Learning
Shaaron E Ainsworth
Multi-representational learning refers to the way that people learn when they interpret more than one representation that others, often experts, have created or when they construct multiple representations for themselves. Examples include reading books replete with text, photographs, diagrams, or pa
Dyslexia
Anne Castles, Genevieve McArthur
Dyslexia is widely defined as a severe and persistent difficulty in learning to read (and often spell) words despite receiving instruction that is effective for peers. The causes of dyslexia remain unclear, with multiple candidates proposed (e.g., poor phonological processing, visual and auditory de
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
Cooperation
Sarah Mathew
Cooperation, defined as an action in which an individual incurs a cost to benefit others, is seen in many human activities such as food sharing, childcare, infrastructure building, resource defense, and warfare. Cooperation presents an evolutionary conundrum because helping someone at a personal cos
Conversation
Kobin H. Kendrick, Judith Holler
When people use language together in informal social interactions, whether spoken or signed, researchers often describe it as conversation. While having a conversation can be a social activity in its own right, the term also applies to interactive language that accompanies everyday practical activit
Deductive Reasoning
Ruth M.J. Byrne
An enduring question that has preoccupied humankind for centuries is whether humans are rational beings. Are people capable of abstract hypothetical thought, and can they reason well from the information available to them to infer a good conclusion? When people reason deductively, they try to reach
“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.”