"Cognition in Foreign Policy Crisis Decision-Making: Computer Analysis of Public Statements by John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush"
Thomas Alfors 2003
Abstract
Around the world, national leaders are often defined by how they handle crises. It seems that a leader’s personal traits and capabilities are somehow connected to their response to a crisis situation. It is these personal traits and capabilities, collectively called cognitive variables, that will be examined in this study. Studying cognitive processes is important because the way an individual processes information about a crisis can affect his/her ability to mentally cope with the crisis, and consequently his/her actions during the crisis. The method of assessing these variables is a comparative case study of three U.S. Presidents and their respective crises: John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis; Jimmy Carter and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; and George H.W. Bush and the Gulf War. As part of this study, a cognitive mapping program is developed to assess the three U.S. President's crisis response.