Date

5-23-2025

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (MFA)

Chair

Heather Birkland

Keywords

waffles and spaghetti, linear processing, nonlinear processing, communication, cognition, cognitive psychology, cognitive processing, processing methods, processing

Disciplines

Art and Design | Psychology

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to shed light on a practical method for resolving conflicts in team environments that stem from miscommunications brought on by differing cognitive processes. Our brains use different cognitive processing techniques to make sense of and explore the vast amount of information the world presents them on a daily, even hourly basis. Each person has their own thinking style which influences how teams collaborate and problem solve. However, miscommunication can often arise when individuals fail to recognize and adapt to the varying processing methods, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency.

This research seeks to address these challenges by defining the two main cognitive processing methods, linear and nonlinear processing, how brain physiology affects which method an individual primarily subscribes to, and practical solutions for overcoming frustrations and miscommunications. Secondly, the author will present a seven-minute animated short that takes the archetypes of linear and nonlinear processing to demonstrate the problems and solutions in a creative and entertaining way. The goal of the short is to present the complicated research using easy to understand symbols so that any organization or team can implement processes to help improve interpersonal communication.

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