Cognitive complexity: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:02, 4 March 2009

Revision as of 22:24, 20 April 2009

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''Cognitive complexity'' is a [[psychology|psychological]] characteristic or psychological [[variable]] that indicates how complex or simple is the [[Framing (social sciences)|frame]] and [[perception|perceptual]] skill of a person. A person who measures high on [[cognitive]] complexity tends to perceive nuances and subtle differences which a person with a lower measure, indicating a less complex cognitive [[structure]] for the task or activity, does not.

For example, in his book [[Blink (book)|Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking]] Malcolm Gladwell discusses the differences between people with high cognitive complexity versus low cognitive complexity, though he does not use that term, with examples of the detection of art forgery as well as an discussion of taste tests and the differences between trained, experienced tasters versus untrained tasters. Art historians reviewing a sculpture felt a sense of wrongness about the sculpture, perceiving subtle differences between the actual sculpture and what the piece was represented to be, though they were unable to actually identify the root of their unease. Further investigation finally revealed that the piece was a well done forgery. A second example from the book involves a discussion of cola taste tests comparing how professional tasters do taste tests versus how untrained people taste.

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* Streufert, S., Pogash, R. M., Piasecki, M. T. (1987). Training for cognitive complexity. ARI Research Note 87-20, AD-A181828. [http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA181828&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf]

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