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Abstract

Communication theorists long have recognized the importance of cognitive structure and its effect on perceptual processes and communicative behavior. Generalizability of cognitive complexity, that is, the degree of differentiation of constructs employed in forming impressions of persons and social issues, was assessed as the number of constructs employed by subjects in describing a close friend, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, a news broadcaster, and a self-selected social issue. Correlations suggest that levels of cognitive complexity in interpersonal relations may be related to cognitive complexity in forming impressions of political figures. Within the political domain, complexity was consistent across subjects' perceptions of political officeholders and newscasters. However, cognitive complexity regarding a social issue did not correlate with perceptions of newscasters and political figures.

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Generalizability of Cognitive Complexity in the Political Domain

Abstract

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