Association areas are the complex regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a primary sensory or motor function. Instead, they act as the brain's "integration centers," processing information from multiple sources to facilitate higher cognitive abilities such as . While primary areas handle basic tasks like seeing light or moving a finger, association areas interpret what that light means or plan the sequence of movements needed to play a piano. Key Functional Subdivisions

The brain is divided into several major association complexes, each specializing in different facets of human cognition: