THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY AND POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Ryan D. Shalek (Creator)
Institution
East Carolina University (ECU )
Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/
Advisor
Mark C. Bowler

Abstract: The relationship between partisan political affiliation and cognitive complexity was examined. It should be noted that cognitive complexity is only loosely correlated with intelligence and for the purposes of this study they should be considered entirely separate constructs. Participants (n = 2109) were students in an Introductory Psychology course at a large southeastern university participating for course credit. Using the Computer-Administered Rep Test (CART) to measure cognitive complexity and the newly designed Political Partisanship Scale to measure political partisanship in an online survey levels of cognitive complexity and political partisanship were measured. It was found that cognitive complexity does have a significant effect on political partisanship. Participants that were found to be more partisan on the Political Partisanship Scale were also found to be less cognitively complex and participants what had more moderate responses on the Political Partisanship Scale were found to be more cognitively complex. 

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Date: 2012
Keywords
Psychology, Political Science, Cognitive complexity, Partisanship
Subjects
Cognitive styles
Cognition and culture
Party affiliation

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TitleLocation & LinkType of Relationship
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY AND POLITICAL PARTISANSHIPhttp://hdl.handle.net/10342/3815The described resource references, cites, or otherwise points to the related resource.