Areas of the cerebral cortex not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

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Understanding higher-order cognitive functions relies on the association areas of the cerebral cortex. These regions integrate information from different senses and brain systems to support learning, memory, planning, thinking, and language. They are not dedicated to basic sensory input or direct motor commands, which are handled by the primary sensory and primary motor cortices, respectively. The cerebellum, while crucial for coordinating movement, is a separate structure involved in motor control rather than higher cognitive processing. So, association areas best explain why learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking arise from more complex, integrated processing in the cortex.