The LOC framework defines 13 cognitive functions—8 base functions and 5 compound functions—measured in both AI models and human brains.
Thinking— Structured reasoning and analytical processing
Cognition— Knowledge integration and understanding
Emotion— Affective processing and valence
Attention— Selective focus and resource allocation
Sensation— Primary sensory encoding
Feelings— Subjective experiential states
Intuition— Pattern recognition beyond explicit reasoning
Energy— Processing capacity and activation level
Reasoning— Logical inference and deduction
Understanding— Deep comprehension and meaning-making
Awareness— Meta-cognitive monitoring
Mindfulness— Present-state attentional quality
Consciousness— Integrated coherence across all functions