1. a general theoretical framework that assumes that individuals respond to problems, challenges, and choices by actively encoding, processing, and recalling needed information, but that these mental activities place demands on cognitive capacity such that heavy loads in one cognitive domain will lead to reductions in activity in another.

2. a conceptual analysis of leadership effectiveness that assumes that team performance depends on a combination of the leader’s cognitive resources (e.g., intelligence, skills, experience) and the particular group setting, especially with regard to the level of interpersonal conflict and stress in the group. This model was developed from the contingency theory of leadership to give greater weight to the traits of individual leaders. See leadership theories. [developed in 1987 by Fred Fiedler and his colleagues]