the systems thinking paradigm and higher-order cognitive processes
abstract
the present study examined a new psychological construct we have coined “the systems
thinking paradigm.” the systems thinking paradigm describes a cognitive style with which one
is more likely to understand that complex phenomena in the world are comprised of multiple
interconnected components and that change in any of these components can elicit oftenunpredictable
variation in other parts of the system. we investigated systems thinking and its
relationship to older psychological mechanisms in order to refine the systems thinking paradigm
and explore its relationship intelligence, personality, and cognitive complexity. results
suggested that systems thinking, while related to verbal intelligence, openness to experience, and
attributional complexity, makes unique contributions to creativity and to some extent to how
people construe complex social problems. this study also found preliminary evidence for the
notion that systems thinking, while related to other psychological processes, is likely to be a
distinct construct.