Cognitive science aims to untangle the mental processes and structures underlying cognitive phenomena such as perception, learning, memory and reasoning. Cognitive Science views human cognition as information processing and provides an inter-disciplinary integration of approaches from cognitive psychology, informatics (e.g., artificial intelligence), neuroscience and anthropology among others.

The cognitive science research group at ETH Zürich puts a special emphasis on Applied Cognitive Science and reaches out to design and engineering disciplines as well as partners outside the university.

The core mission of the cognition science research group is to help understand the complex interaction of humans and their physical, technical and social environment with an emphasis on cognitive processes and task-oriented behavior. In the area of human-computer interaction this includes projects on how people interact with desktop computers and digital mobile devices. In the area of human spatial cognition we emphasize collaboration with architectural design researchers on orientation and navigation in complex public buildings and urban environments. This is complemented by studies on the cognitive processes of architectural design thinking and creativity, especially on how designers anticipate user requirements, preferences and competencies.