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Cognitive Complexity
Definition of Cognitive Complexity: 1. a more versatile system for perceiving the cognitively complex person. 2. how the individual structures his world. Components of Cognitive Complexity: Ordination - related to the ability to hierarchically prioritize making. Functionally Independent Constructs - the degree of within their construct system. Brief overview of Cognitive Complexity: ability to predict and control your level of dispostional optimism. high fragmentation of the construct system leading to disorganization, ambiguity of information construal and variable is that it is defined in terms of dimensions of judgement which, in turn, makes it possible to analyze at least certain kinds

of judgement. Three Levels of Methodological Problems in Measuring Cognitive Structure: 1. measurement operations. 2. 3. Deriving scores from these specific forms of measurement operations. General Discussion of Cognitive Complexity: The term "cognitive cognitive complexity in relation to personality, includes mind as a complex system. In the latter sense, cognitive theory. The theory of complex systems is indeed relevant to every area of scientific investigation. It is argued however, that no other

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systems models and ideas (Goertzel, 1997). Individual variables contribute to the fragmentation of psychology; that is, there is no unifying paradigm for psychology as a whole. Goertzel posits that complexity science has the potential to help psychology become a unified theory of the mind.

more relevant to personality. Loevingier introduces some caveats to understanding cognitive complexity. These include: 1) Cognitive complexity is not the same thing as IQ. The Loevinger behavior and places it in a hierarchy of cognitive styles, whereas IQ is an approximation based on an ideal-type model. 2) Complexity is not synonymous with confusion, just as simplicity does not mean elegance. The ability to deal with a wide variety of variables is complexity, and simplicity is that very inability. 3) complexity does not consistently operate at that level. One of the functions of higher order complexity is the ability to discriminate between those tasks which require a higher order and those tasks for which lower orders are more efficient. Loevinger also offers levels of complexity, which may apply to personality. These are stated in ascending order, directly from the Loevinger scale. 1. Simple dichotomies: up/down, left/right, good/bad 2. Simple dichotomies with some discomfort: The discomfort arises from the antinomies the individual notes. Some the dichotomous categories are the only model for comprehending the universe. 3. Conformity: The antinomies can be dealt with through a group. The present paradigm is always correct but may change as fads dictate 4. Ambiguity: Neither dichotomous categories nor socially under consideration. A more flexible model emerges, but there is some discomfort with the ambiguity. This often results in hasty generalizations. 5. Acceptance of complexity 6. Evolutionary complexity: The model for understanding the in the sense that it comprehends more and more of the generate usable generalizations. ( Quoted from Loevinger Levels of Complexity) When discussing personality, one must consider emotional functioning. Self-schema is a key focus in cognitive research. It is

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the internal representation of the self, and thus is active in almost any activity we engage ourselves in. It is therefore presumed to be more elaborate than other mental representations. Social psychological research has shown that we form significantly more intricate views and judgments of our own emotions and behaviors than we do of the behaviors and emotions of others. Features of experience and what our behavioral or emotional response is. This sort of cognitive mediation has been found in the case of self-esteem. ( Rafaeli-Mor, 1997). The complexity here is self-complexity. The definition has been much debated, but there are two aspects of the definition that are shared among all. They all identify self-complexity as consisting of two components: variety of roles and an overlap between roles ( Rafaeli-Mor, 1997). All accounts also share, that at the root of self-complexity is the spreading of activation. The author here, activation of one role or aspect of the self will "spill-over" and activate other roles or aspects of the self, to the extent that the aspects overlap. Therefore, the greater the overlap, the greater the "spill over" of emotional activation. Mind as a Complex System Goertzel (1997) suggests there are four different levels on which complex systems may assist in the initiative of psychology. He refers to these as the "four faces of 1. 2. 3. 4. modeling of underlying neural mechanisms modeling of abstract phenomena analysis of complex experimental data and clarification of philosophical foundations.

He admits to the great deal of overlap between these categories, but suggests that there are enough differences to make a distinction. These four faces may correspond to cognitive theory, cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology, and philosophy of the mind. Goertzel insists that it is by working on these four transform psychology. Psychology lacks an overarching perspective which brings the brain, mind and behavior together. Complexity science, he believes, can offer an "interconnected web of detailed insights" into the behavior of psychological systems, discussed previously. Goertzel posits that psychological entities -dynamical system. (system which changes over time). They are attractors of neural attractors of a more abstract dynamical system. These attractors

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evolve over time; that is, they do not remain constant. They adapt to their environment. Their environment consists of other external world. The attractors must have an ability for "pseudorandom" variation if they are to adapt to the environment. each other alive. They utilize different networking principles, for

could easily be articulated in every day language. In its holism however, is a scientifically rigorous way of exploring this kind of complex, self-organizing world, which intuitively, the human race has known all along ( Goertzel, 1997 ).