Enhancement of coping through blurring

When problem situations are imprecise, people use mental processes closer to coping than to exact, logical-deductive reasoning. We sketch new ways of explicating the process of coping. This leads to a broader definition of complexity than is generally used in computer science. We present at the essence of coping a normative model for shifting and changing focus of attention. To cope is to transform a complex situation into blurred representations that are simpler and less worrisome. The process of “thinking of” such shifts in problem-representation is also improved when the level of specificity and precision in the focus of attention varies.