cognitive network science
Definition
Cognitive network science is a methodological framework that encodes relationships between concepts to structure human knowledge in terms of associative links between concepts, ideas and words. Drawing upon graph theory and complex systems science, cognitive network science provides a means to visualise and quantify the complex web of relationships among various concepts, playing a critical role in enhancing understanding of the interactions between different cognitive components and their interplay with psychological constructs. In psychometric contexts, cognitive networks such as Textual Forma Mentis Networks (TFMNs) can reconstruct semantic and syntactic links encoded in item texts, thereby revealing how semantic memories and psychological constructs percolate through language use and influence respondent ratings.
Sources: Stanghellini et al. (2024)
Related Terms
Applications
Cognitive Network Science and Psychometrics
Cognitive network science, particularly through Textual Forma Mentis Networks, bridges network psychometrics and semantic analysis by reconstructing the syntactic and semantic structure of psychometric questionnaire items. This integration allows researchers to model psychological constructs such as depression, anxiety, and stress not merely as numerical patterns but as interconnected semantic contexts that influence how individuals rate items and express their psychological experiences.
Sources: Stanghellini et al. (2024)
Cognitive Network Science and Semantic Memory
Cognitive network science reveals how semantic memories underlying questionnaire items interact during the respondent's reading and rating process. Psychological constructs percolate through language use, making it possible to observe changes in semantic representations based on the presence of specific psychological constructs, which cognitive networks can explicitly model.
Sources: Stanghellini et al. (2024)
