COGNITIVE-COMPLEXITY AND COMPLETION OF SOCIAL-STRUCTURES

Subjects (Ss), of whom 50% were cognitively complex and 50% cognitively simple, made predictions about unknown relations in 4 person social structures. Structures differed in the number of relations given. For those with 2 or 3 relations given, predictions of cognitively complex and cognitively simple Ss did not differ, all Ss making balanced predictions. For those with 4 or 5 relations given, cognitively complex Ss, to a greater extent than cognitively simple Ss, made balanced predictions. Cognitively simple Ss made predictions based on consideration of fewer relations in the social structure. Cognitively simple SS apparently become overloaded by smaller amounts of information than do cognitively complex Ss. Such an explanation has relevance to the interpretation of the balance principle as a conceptual rule.