Cognition refers to what.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cognition

"Thinking" would be a good synonym.

Cognition refers to the mental processes and activities related to acquiring, processing, storing, and using information. It involves various aspects of thinking, such as perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, decision-making, and reasoning. To understand what cognition refers to, you can explore the field of cognitive psychology, which studies these mental processes and their impact on human behavior. To learn more about cognition, you can read books on cognitive psychology, study research articles, or take courses in psychology or neuroscience.