Cognitive Complexity Theory
Encyclopedia
Cognitive complexity describes cognition
along a simplicity-complexity axis. It is the subject of academic study in fields including personal construct psychology, organisational theory
and human-computer interaction.
and perceptual
skill of a person. A person who is measured 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.
It is used as part of one of the several variations of the viable non-empirical evaluation model GOMS
(Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules); in particular the GOMS/CCT methodology.
Cognitive complexity can have various meanings:
and human cognition) from, for example, computational complexity
.
. It amounts to the length of the shortest description available to the observer.
Here is an example :
Individuating a particular Inuit woman among one hundred people is simpler in a village in Congo rather than in an Inuit village.
Cognitive complexity is related to probability (see Simplicity theory
): situation are cognitively improbable if they are simpler to describe than to generate.
Human individuals attach two complexity values to events:
To 'generate' an event such as an encounter with an Inuit woman in Congo, one must add up the complexity of each event in the causal chain that brought her there. The significant gap between both complexities (hard to produce, easy to describe) makes the encounter improbable and thus narratable.
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
along a simplicity-complexity axis. It is the subject of academic study in fields including personal construct psychology, organisational theory
Organizational studies
Organizational studies, sometimes known as organizational science, encompass the systematic study and careful application of knowledge about how people act within organizations...
and human-computer interaction.
In psychology
Cognitive complexity is a psychological characteristic or psychological variable that indicates how complex or simple is the frameFraming (social sciences)
A frame in social theory consists of a schema of interpretation — that is, a collection of anecdotes and stereotypes—that individuals rely on to understand and respond to events. In simpler terms, people build a series of mental filters through biological and cultural influences. They use these...
and perceptual
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
skill of a person. A person who is measured high on cognitive complexity tends to perceive nuances and subtle differences which a person with a lower measure, indicating a less complex cognitive structure
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...
for the task or activity, does not.
It is used as part of one of the several variations of the viable non-empirical evaluation model GOMS
GOMS
GOMS is a kind of specialized human information processor model for human computer interaction observation. Developed in 1983 by Stuart Card, Thomas P. Moran and Allen Newell, it was explained in their book The Psychology of Human Computer Interaction...
(Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selection rules); in particular the GOMS/CCT methodology.
Cognitive complexity can have various meanings:
- the number of mental structures we use, how abstract they are, and how elaborately they interact to shape our perceptions.
- "an individual-difference variable associated with a broad range of communication skills and related abilities ... [which] indexes the degree of differentiation, articulation, and integration within a cognitive system".
In computer science
In human-computer interaction, cognitive (or psychological) complexity distinguishes human factors (related to psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and human cognition) from, for example, computational complexity
Computational complexity theory
Computational complexity theory is a branch of the theory of computation in theoretical computer science and mathematics that focuses on classifying computational problems according to their inherent difficulty, and relating those classes to each other...
.
In artificial intelligence
In an attempt to explain how humans perceive relevance, Cognitive complexity is defined as an extension of the notion of Kolmogorov complexityKolmogorov complexity
In algorithmic information theory , the Kolmogorov complexity of an object, such as a piece of text, is a measure of the computational resources needed to specify the object...
. It amounts to the length of the shortest description available to the observer.
Here is an example :
Individuating a particular Inuit woman among one hundred people is simpler in a village in Congo rather than in an Inuit village.
Cognitive complexity is related to probability (see Simplicity theory
Simplicity theory
Simplicity theory is a cognitive theory that seeks to explain the attractiveness of situations or events to human minds. It isbased on work done by scientists like Nick Chater, Paul Vitanyi, Jean-Louis Dessalles, Jürgen Schmidhuber...
): situation are cognitively improbable if they are simpler to describe than to generate.
Human individuals attach two complexity values to events:
- description complexity (see above definition)
- generation complexity: the size of the minimum set of parameter values than the 'world' (as imagined by the observer) needs to generate the event.
To 'generate' an event such as an encounter with an Inuit woman in Congo, one must add up the complexity of each event in the causal chain that brought her there. The significant gap between both complexities (hard to produce, easy to describe) makes the encounter improbable and thus narratable.
See also
- ConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
- General semanticsGeneral SemanticsGeneral semantics is a program begun in the 1920's that seeks to regulate the evaluative operations performed in the human brain. After partial program launches under the trial names "human engineering" and "humanology," Polish-American originator Alfred Korzybski fully launched the program as...
- Language of thoughtLanguage of thoughtIn philosophy of mind, the language of thought hypothesis put forward by American philosopher Jerry Fodor describes thoughts as represented in a "language" that allows complex thoughts to be built up by combining simpler thoughts in various ways...
- Learning theory (education)Learning theory (education)In psychology and education, learning is commonly defined as a process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views . Learning as a process focuses on what...
- Cognitive dimensions of notations
- Cognitive ergonomicsCognitive ergonomicsAccording to the International Ergonomics Association, by definition, "Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system...
- Simplicity theorySimplicity theorySimplicity theory is a cognitive theory that seeks to explain the attractiveness of situations or events to human minds. It isbased on work done by scientists like Nick Chater, Paul Vitanyi, Jean-Louis Dessalles, Jürgen Schmidhuber...
External links
- A tutorial on Simplicity Theory
- Bryan, S. (2002). "Cognitive complexity, transformational leadership, and organizational outcomes". Dissertation in the Department of Communication Studies, Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
- Chater, N. (1999). The search for simplicity: A fundamental cognitive principle? The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 52 (A), 273-302.
- Dobosh, M.A. (2005). "The impact of cognitive complexity and self-monitoring on leadership emergence". Master's Thesis in the Department of Communication, Graduate Faculty of the University of Delaware.
- Lee, J., Truex, D.P. (2000). "Cognitive complexity and methodical training: enhancing or suppressing creativity". Proceedings of the 33rd Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences.
- Sanders, T.J.M. "Coherence, causality and cognitive complexity in discourse".
- Streufert, S., Pogash, R.M., Piasecki, M.T. (1987). "Training for cognitive complexity". ARI Research Note 87-20, AD-A181828.