A Model of Cognitive Structure : a Preliminary Sketch

In response to an event in the environment, a person forms a cognitive field, consisting of one dominant cognitive unit (cognitive theme) and supplementary cognitive units (cognitive elements). Relations between the cognitive theme and cognitive elements may be seen in terms of both compatibility and distance, and salience of such a relation is obtained by dividing the degree of compatibility by the degree of distance. Balance of a cognitive field is based on the sum of the salience of the relation between the cognitive theme and each cognitive element, and various degrees of balance can be thus expressed. Eight hypotheses on imbalance reduction are stated.departmental bulletin pape