Quantum cognition is a new field in cognitive science, which is characterized by the application of quantum probability theory, quantum dynamics, and quantum information processing to account for human behavior in cognitive tasks. This chapter provides an introduction to the basic principles and a review of applications of these principles to a wide range of cognitive tasks. The power of quantum cognition comes from using the same principles to coherently link together a wide range of phenomena that have never been previously connected together.
Quantum cognition is a new field in cognitive science, which is characterized by the application of quantum probability theory, quantum dynamics, and quantum information processing to account for human behavior in cognitive tasks. This chapter provides an introduction to the basic principles and a review of applications of these principles to a wide range of cognitive tasks. The power of quantum cognition comes from using the same principles to coherently link together a wide range of phenomena that have never been previously connected together.
Quantum cognition (QC) is a rapidly growing research program in the field of cognitive science, which provides potentially important applications to better understand human communication processes. QC takes the basic mathematical principles from quantum theory, particularly quantum probability theory, and applies them to human reasoning, judgment, and decision-making, perception, attention, memory, and attitude, among other cognitive processes and observed behaviors. This chapter presents reasons for applying QC models to study communication processes and effects. Then the chapter reviews some basic QC concepts relevant to communication and provides an illustrative example where QC concepts are used to guide hypotheses for psychophysiological research on communication and decision processes. This introduction to QC is a conceptual summary of general principles that does not require any background in quantum theory.
Quantum cognition research applies abstract, mathematical principles of quantum theory to inquiries in cognitive science. It differs fundamentally from alternative speculations about quantum brain processes. This topic presents new developments within this research program. In the introduction to this topic, we try to answer three questions: Why apply quantum concepts to human cognition? How is quantum cognitive modeling different from traditional cognitive modeling? What cognitive processes have been modeled using a quantum account? In addition, a brief introduction to quantum probability theory and a concrete example is provided to illustrate how a quantum cognitive model can be developed to explain paradoxical empirical findings in psychological literature.
Cognitive Science is the study of the mind and how it relates to human behaviour. As a field, it is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together theories from Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, and others. The field of cognitive science operates at a number of levels. On the one hand, some aspects of cognitive science look at the behaviour of neurons, whereas other aspects look to explain human behaviour at a more abstract level, seeking to explain human decision making or reasoning. A key area of research in cognitive science is how to formalise human behaviours around judgements of similarity, categorization, and decision making. In the field of Physics, Quantum Mechanics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the way in which particles behave. Quantum mechanics has a number of unintuitive phenomena, some of which can be used model unusual aspects of human behaviour. The application of quantum theory to model human behaviour is wide-ranging. In this chapter we will look at three main areas in which it has been applied. One key area is in how similarity judgements can be modelled. There are a number of phenomena around similarity judgements that are not well modelled using a view of concepts that does not take the state of the observer into account. These include the asymmetry of similarity judgements and the fact that similarity can change depending on other exemplars that are present. Another key area is in judgement and decision-making. Again, puzzling phenomena have been observed regarding the fact that judgements do not follow classical probability theory, known as the conjunction fallacy, can depend crucially on the order in which questions are presented or on the amount of knowledge about the world. Finally, approaches to modelling cognitive phenomena at the neural level will also be discussed within a quantum-theoretic framework.
Quantum probability theory provides a new formalism for constructing probabilistic and dynamic systems of cognition and decision. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce psychologists to this fascinating theory. This chapter is organized into six sections. First, some of the basic psychological principles supporting a quantum approach to cognition and decision are summarized; second, some notations and definitions needed to understand quantum probability theory are presented; third, a comparison of quantum and classical probability theories is presented; fourth, quantum probability theory is used to account for some paradoxical findings in the field of human probability judgments; fifth, a comparison of quantum and Markov dynamic theories is presented; and finally, a quantum dynamic model is used to account for some puzzling findings of decision-making research. The chapter concludes with a summary of advantages and disadvantages of a quantum probability theoretical framework for modeling cognition and decision.
ABSTRACT Recent advances at the intersection of quantum physics, neuroscience, and cognitive science have renewed interest in whether quantum phenomena and quantum‐inspired formalisms can inform models of human cognition and decision‐making. While classical neural and computational models explain many aspects of perception and behavior, they face limitations in accounting for contextuality, order effects, probabilistic reasoning violations, ambiguity resolution, and rapid information integration. This review synthesizes evidence and theoretical frameworks linking quantum‐related principles to cognition, with emphasis on quantum sensing in biological systems, molecular and subcellular quantum‐relevant mechanisms, quantum‐to‐classical transition pathways, quantum‐inspired models of perception and decision‐making, and quantum‐inspired computational approaches. It also extends beyond the probabilistic arm of quantum cognition by considering emerging equilibrium‐based and causal‐logical theories, including mental equilibrium, brain‐universe similarity, mind‐light‐matter unity, quantum emergence, and quantum intelligence. Throughout, the review distinguishes physically instantiated quantum mechanisms from abstract quantum‐like formalisms that model contextuality, mental entanglement, and non‐separable cognitive dynamics without requiring sustained macroscopic quantum coherence in the brain. Finally, it identifies methodological challenges and future directions for advancing quantum cognitive science toward experimentally testable and biologically meaningful theories.