Cognitive Complexity Project Introduction

Cognitive Complexity Project - It is worth 10% of the final course grade and is due to be turned in Session 5.

For each of the situations below, speculate at least 5 explanations. (7 situations X 5 explanations each = 35 explanations in total). For each situation, brainstorm at least 2 ways you could find out which of the explanations is correct (7 situations X 2 methods of verification= 14 methods of verification).

Here are the 7 situations:

1. A person does not call you back after a first date
2. A serving staff in a restaurant gives you lousy service
3. Even though you paid a high fee, the car repair was not done correctly
4. Your teacher is late for class
5. A 7 year old child beats up another 7 year old child
6. A student copies tests answers from another student sitting nearby
7. A parent refuses to allow a 14-year-old to stay out until 2 am on Saturday night.

Note that you do not have to believe in the explanations you generate (e.g. one possible explanation you could generate for #7 is “parent is fearful of alien abduction”. The point of this project is not to generate LIKELY or REASONABLE explanations. The point is simply to PRACTICE generating them rather than going with your first “knee-jerk” reaction.)

Have fun with this project, and don’t be afraid to make your explanations wild or outrageous. Note that if you do not meet the minimum requirements (i.e. produce 35 explanations and 14 ways to verify/disconfirm them) you will not pass this project. Please follow formatting as double spaced cover page and headings.

It should look something like this example below:

Cognitive Complexity Project

Situation # 1: A person does not call you back after a first date.

Explanation: 1). They must have left town suddenly.

2).

3)

4)

5)

How to verify: 1) Could check them out on Facebook or other social media