Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026
07:36
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
Two ways to be complex and why they matter: implications for attitude strength and lying
Lucian Gideon Conway1, Felix Thoemmes, Amy M Allison
1Department of Psychology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA. luke.conway@umontana.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|October 29, 2008
Summary
Researchers developed a new model of complex thinking, differentiating between dialectical complexity and elaborative complexity. Findings show attitude strength and counterattitudinal lying increase elaborative complexity while decreasing dialectical complexity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Integrative complexity is a broad measure of statement complexity.
- Its breadth can hinder the development of specific theories.
- A need exists for more nuanced models of cognitive complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a new model distinguishing between dialectical and elaborative complexity.
- To develop measurements for these two distinct routes of complex thinking.
- To test how variables like attitude strength and lying affect these complexities.
Main Methods:
- The study defined dialectical complexity (tension between perspectives) and elaborative complexity (elaboration of one perspective).
- Measurements for each type of complexity were developed.
- Experiments (Studies 1a, 1b, 2, and 3) manipulated attitude strength and counterattitudinal lying.
Main Results:
- Variables related to attitude strength (importance, extremism, accessibility) decreased dialectical complexity but increased elaborative complexity.
- Counterattitudinal lying also decreased dialectical complexity while increasing elaborative complexity.
- These effects were consistent across two different theoretical domains.
Conclusions:
- The new model and measurements offer a more specific approach to understanding cognitive complexity.
- The findings suggest that factors like attitude strength and lying strategically influence different forms of complexity.
- This framework may help reconcile existing conflicts in the study of cognitive complexity.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Understanding Deception
Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...
01:15Theory of Attribution I: Correspondent Inference Theory
Correspondent inference theory, proposed by Jones and Davis in 1965, seeks to explain how individuals infer stable personality traits from observed behaviors. It suggests that people attribute actions to underlying dispositions rather than external circumstances, particularly when the behavior appears intentional and socially significant.Voluntary Behavior and Dispositional AttributionAccording to this theory, individuals are more likely to attribute behavior to personal traits when it appears...
01:23Implicit Personality Theories
Implicit personality theory explains how individuals make assumptions about the relationships between personality traits, behaviors, and character types. When people learn that someone possesses a particular trait, they tend to infer the presence of other related characteristics, forming a cohesive impression. This cognitive shortcut plays a crucial role in social interactions and interpersonal judgments.Central Traits and Their InfluenceSolomon Asch's seminal 1946 study highlighted the power...
01:54Attitudes
Attitude is our evaluation of a person, an idea, or an object. We have attitudes for many things ranging from products that we might pick up in the supermarket to people around the world to political policies. Typically, attitudes are favorable or unfavorable: positive or negative (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). And, they have three components: an affective component (feelings), a behavioral component (the effect of the attitude on behavior), and a cognitive component (belief and knowledge;...
01:25Importance of Need for Affiliation
The need for affiliation is a fundamental human motive that drives individuals to form and maintain interpersonal relationships. This universal drive varies in intensity among individuals due to genetic predispositions and life experiences, shaping it into a relatively stable personality trait. Social inclusion enhances emotional well-being by fulfilling the need for affiliation, whereas social exclusion leads to distress, negative emotions, and cognitive impairments.Psychological and Emotional...
01:29Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
Attribution theory plays a crucial role in social psychology, helping to explain how individuals interpret the causes of behavior. One prominent model within this field is Harold Kelley's covariation theory, which provides a systematic approach to determining whether internal traits or external circumstances drive a person's actions. The model posits that individuals rely on three key types of information—consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness—to make these judgments.Consensus: Comparing...