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
200 articles connected by 795 cross-references. Visualize the network, browse the matrix, and discover patterns.
Featured Articles
Discover peer-reviewed entries on cognitive science
Social Learning
Hyowon Gweon
Social learning broadly refers to learning that occurs through the learner’s social experiences, such as observing or interacting with others. In contrast, asocial or individual learning refers to learning that takes place in the absence of social input, such as through the exploration of one’s phys
Complex Dynamical Systems
Rick Dale
A complex dynamical system is one with interdependent parts that evolve nonlinearly over time. As the system evolves, surprising patterns may emerge in the system’s behaviors or structure. These emergent patterns arise from interactions among the system’s parts. Complex dynamical systems are studied
Information and Misinformation
Andrew Perfors
For scientists whose primary interest is in policy or sociology, there is an important distinction between information (which is true), misinformation (which is false but thought by the information provider to be true), and disinformation (which is false and known to be false by the provider). For c
Hidden Markov Models
Ingmar Visser
Hidden Markov models are a class of statistical model used to characterize time series and longitudinal data. When applied to longitudinal data, the model is also known as the latent Markov model. Hidden Markov models are very versatile models and have a wide range of applications. The model is appr
Intelligence
K. Paige Harden
Intelligence is a broad term, and the nature of human (and nonhuman) intelligence continues to be debated. Remembering information, understanding context and meaning, mentally manipulating objects, retrieving and applying knowledge learned from experience, and solving abstract problems in novel ways
Foundations of Rationality
Nick Chater
Rationality is one of the most central concepts in cognitive science, yet also one of the least well defined. In some contexts, it is used interchangeably with terms like intelligence or even reasonableness. Rationality in its narrower conception is taken to be adherence to a set of normative standa
“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.”