What is Cognitive Load?
Cognitive load refers to the amount of information our brain can process at any given time. Understanding cognitive load is important because it affects how we make decisions, process information, and interact with the world around us. Cognitive load is independent of our IQ level. It will vary greatly from person to person. Some of us can juggle tasks and multitask effectively, while others struggle to focus on even one thing at a time.
Cognitive Overload
Cognitive overload happens when we’re bombarded with too much information too quickly. We will then get emotionally overwhelmed. People can use judgmental language to manipulate emotional responses from us. Overload also affects our ability to process and analyze the information.
Information bombardment contributes to cognitive overload. This happens when we have rapid presentation of multiple facts; limited time for processing and analysis; difficulty in verifying information accuracy; and an overwhelming amount of data in short time spans.
Signs of Cognitive Overload
Cognitive overload will affect our behavior. Some indicators of this impact are as follows:
an increased hesitation to speak up; a reduced confidence in personal judgment; the tendency to conform to group thinking; and having an emotional rather than a rational response.
The group dynamic also becomes impacted by overload. Here are some signs that affect the group: formation of a mob mentality; reduced critical thinking skills; being susceptibility to the group’s influence; and the contagion of moods and emotions throughout the group.
How to Protect Yourself
Critical Awareness
You need to be critically aware. You can do this by paying attention to your emotional responses, and by noticing word choice and framing of the person speaking. Don’t be afraid to question any assumptions that are being made.
How to Defend Yourself
Make sure you take the time to process the information. Seek out other sources to verify what was said. Recognize any manipulation of your emotions, and take a step back if the situation becomes overwhelming.
Cognitive Load – What’s Important
Remember, your cognitive load doesn’t define your intelligence or your worth. What matters is understanding your patterns and working with them, not against them. Maybe you’re great at multitasking in the morning but not after lunch. Perhaps you handle difficult information better when you discuss it with a close friend or colleague. By understanding these patterns, you take the first step to working better with your mind.
For more information, please watch Navigating Patterns Episode of Cognitive Load – How it Works!
Additional Episodes in the Tools for Sense-Making Series:
Our Views the Dangers of Oversimplifying – Where are we Going Part 1 – Article | YouTube
Critical thinking – if A then what else? – Article | YouTube
Conspiracy theories and their utility – Article | YouTube
Understanding the World – Where we are going? Part 2 – Article | YouTube
Making Sense of the World – Where we are going? Part 3 – Article | YouTube
Where we need to be. Part 4 – Finalizing the model – YouTube
How to Think Better? Models – Part 5 – Article | YouTube
The Trick of Socialism – Article | YouTube
Cognitive Load – How it Works! – YouTube
Understanding the Enchanted World – YouTube