Title:
Cognitive Friction: Interpretive Tension in Complex Information Environments

Authors:
Dr. Robb Shawe, Aslak Molvaer, USA

Abstract:

This paper introduces the concept of Cognitive Friction as a baseline condition of contemporary information environments. Rather than treating interpretive difficulty as resulting from cognitive bias, error, or disinformation, the paper defines Cognitive Friction as the tension that arises when multiple informational inputs resist integration into a coherent structure. This tension is understood as a structural feature of the environment rather than a failure of individual cognition.

The analysis examines the dynamics of Cognitive Friction, including variations in intensity and the persistence of unresolved interpretive tension. It then introduces the concept of cognitive pareidolia to describe how coherence may be imposed when it cannot be derived from available information. Finally, the paper considers the implications of these conditions for interpretation and decision-making, including the role of cognitive sustainability as the capacity to operate within ongoing ambiguity.

The paper is conceptual and analytical in nature. It does not present empirical findings, but develops a theoretical framework intended to clarify the conditions under which contemporary cognition operates. It aims to make visible a structural condition that underlies interpretation and decision-making in complex information environments.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijaemr.2026.11232