Which term encompasses all mental abilities such as perceiving and reasoning?

The correct term that encompasses all mental abilities such as perceiving and reasoning is cognition. Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension. This includes various functions like thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, remembering, and understanding language. It is a broad concept that captures the mechanisms through which we acquire, store, retrieve, and use information, thereby integrating both perception and reasoning into a cohesive framework.

In contrast, the other terms do not cover the full range of mental abilities. Emotion pertains specifically to feelings and affective states, while behavior refers to observable actions rather than internal cognitive processes. Perception is focused on the immediate process of interpreting sensory information, but it does not include higher-order functions like reasoning or abstract thinking, which are integral to cognition. Therefore, cognition is the most comprehensive term in this context.