Which cognitive process integrates many other cognitive processes and leads to the achievement of a designated goal?

The process of problem solving is defined as the cognitive activity that involves integrating various cognitive skills to address a specific challenge or reach a particular goal. Problem solving typically requires the use of critical thinking, creativity, and the application of knowledge from different domains—such as analyzing a situation, generating potential solutions, evaluating those solutions, and making decisions based on the outcomes.

This process stands out because it often draws on a combination of deductive reasoning, memory, and recall, all of which are auxiliary cognitive functions. However, problem solving itself encompasses these skills and orchestrates them to navigate complex situations effectively. Therefore, it is closely aligned with achieving designated goals, as it involves strategic thinking and the ability to foresee the consequences of various options.

The other choices, while relevant to cognitive processes, do not encapsulate the holistic integration of skills in the same way that problem solving does. Deductive reasoning primarily focuses on logical conclusions from general premises, recall pertains to retrieving information from memory, and memory serves as a repository of knowledge. Each of those plays a role in cognitive tasks, but none of them singularly represents the comprehensive integration necessary for reaching specific objectives as problem solving does.