Cognitive theories examine how the mind processes information. They view thought as influencing behavior and occurring between stimuli and responses. Key concepts include metacognition, which involves thinking about one's own thinking, and situated cognition theory, where knowledge is embedded in social contexts and learning occurs through interaction. Cognitive apprenticeship involves a novice learning from an expert through shared experiences, while expertise theory specifies that developing skills requires focused practice and feedback over time. Information processing theory models the mind as processing information through encoding, storage, and retrieval.