Cognitive complexity, perceived conflict, and certainty.

Cognitive complexity is a construct which is intended to reflect the relative differentiation of a person's system of dimensions for construing the behavior of others. It is assumed that a more cognitively complex person has available a more differentiated system of dimensions for perceiving the behavior of others than does a less cognitively complex individual. It may be noted that previous research has suggested that there may be systematic differences between high and low complex Ss in the processing of conflicting or contradictory information about other persons. Researchers have cited evidence which suggests that high complex judges are less certain in their judgments of consistent information about others, but they are more certain than low complex judges in making judgments of others on the basis of conflicting or contradictory stimulus information. Conceptualization of these influences of the cognitive system of the judge upon his reactions to informational input may be facilitated if a common mode of analysis is applied to both organismic and stimulus variables.