PAPA, you may want to post what cognative is (or maybe what your report is on)
Cognative (according to Webster) "based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge"
Aviation is a dynamic, complex, multi-leveled and aquired skill. Aircraft knowledge, "the System" knowledge (weather, airspace, CFR's. Navigation, - ground school stuff) and the self taught (learned from being there) skills are critical in staying alive. Aviation also depends (somewhat) on what part you are operating in. Some knowledge, but not all, is transferable. Air carrier (passenger or frieght), charter, flight instruction, AG, Fire fighting, etc. is also tempered by geographical location, mountains, sea level, hot, cold, and by aircraft kind; balloon, fixed wing, rotocraft, hot air, or lighter than air.
IMHO always learning until you stop aviating is the most important cognative skill. There is always something new, or something you thought you knew has changed or hopefully improved.
Some knowledge is universal.
"maintain thy airspeed or the ground will rise up and smite the" (one of my favorates)
something like "don't run out of airspeed, altitude or Ideas"
"... More pilots have been killed by arrogance than by faulty equipment."
CHUCK YEAGER, Gen. U.S.A.F. Ret
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. - Bertrand Russell
I digress.... My 2 cents.
JAFI