What does cognitive science primarily examine?

Cognitive science primarily examines how information is acquired, processed, stored, and retrieved. This field is interdisciplinary, drawing on psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and computer science to explore the workings of the mind. It investigates the underlying mental mechanisms that enable individuals to learn, understand, and utilize information in various ways. By focusing on cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and decision-making, cognitive science provides essential insights into how people think and behave based on the information they encounter in their environment.

The other options, while related to aspects of psychology and human behavior, do not encompass the main focus of cognitive science. Examining emotional responses relates more closely to affective psychology. Similarly, studying emotional well-being is associated with developmental psychology and mental health. Lastly, evolutionary adaptations pertain to behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology, which focus on how behavior has developed in response to survival needs over time.