Complexity management theory: motivation for ideological rigidity and social conflict.

Full Abstract

We are doomed to formulate conceptual structures that are much simpler than the complex phenomena they are attempting to account for. These simple conceptual structures shield us, pragmatically, from real-world complexity, but also fail, frequently, as some aspect of what we did not take into consideration makes itself manifest. The failure of our concepts dysregulates our emotions and generates anxiety, necessarily, as the unconstrained world is challenging and dangerous. Such dysregulation can turn us into rigid, totalitarian dogmatists, as we strive to maintain the structure of our no longer valid beliefs. Alternatively, we can face the underlying complexity of experience, voluntarily, gather new information, and recast and reconfigure the structures that underly our habitable worlds.

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Author information

Author/s: Peterson, Jordan B (JB); Flanders, Joseph L (JL);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jpeterson(-atsign-)psych.utoronto.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior (Cortex), published in Italy. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 38 (issue 3) : pp 429-58

Dates: Created 2002/07/30; Completed 2003/02/26; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12146676, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Amygdala - physiopathology
Animals
Anxiety - physiopathology; psychology
Arousal - physiology
Brain Mapping
Conflict (Psychology)
Creativeness
Culture
Defense Mechanisms
Emotions - physiology
Hippocampus - physiopathology

Hippocampus - physiopathology
Humans
Internal-External Control
Motivation
Nerve Net - physiopathology
Object Attachment
Political Systems
Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology
Problem Solving - physiology
Psychoanalytic Theory
Social Behavior

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