Understanding Capitalism v6.6 — Understanding Cognitive Load Economics and Coherence Resource Constraints —

Author: Y. Seo (@momotarou / Japan)Role: Metanist — Human × AI Understanding ArchitectAI Collaboration: AI Understanding SupportORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7669-0612 Abstract This paper introduces the framework of Understanding Cognitive Load Economics, extending Understanding Coordination Friction by modeling cognitive load not as a psychological byproduct but as a primary economic constraint shaping coherence stability, decision durability, and systemic resilience. While classical economics treats scarcity in material or informational terms, the proposed framework argues that advanced technological societies increasingly encounter binding constraints rooted in cognitive processing limits, interpretive capacity saturation, and coherence maintenance costs. Information may be abundant. Understanding capacity remains bounded. 1. Reconsidering Scarcity Traditional scarcity models emphasize: Material resource limitations Production capacity constraints Information asymmetry effects However, informational abundance does not eliminate functional constraints. 2. Defining Cognitive Load Economics Understanding Cognitive Load Economics refers to: System-level dynamics arising from bounded cognitive processing capacity, coherence maintenance costs, and interpretive stability limitations. Load becomes an economic variable. 3. Cognitive Load as Structural Constraint Excessive load degrades: Coherence durability Decision reliability Context retention Synchronization capacity Performance and stability diverge. 4. Coherence Maintenance Costs Agents continuously expend cognitive resources for: Context reconstruction Signal filtering Interpretive stabilization Attention management Understanding requires sustained investment. 5. AI Systems and Load Redistribution AI systems modify load structures by: Expanding information exposure Altering decision velocity Compressing recovery intervals Increasing signal density Efficiency gains may coexist with cognitive strain. 6. Economic Stability Implications Persistent cognitive overload generates: Coherence instability, coordination degradation, and latent systemic fragility. Instability becomes endogenous. Conclusion Understanding Cognitive Load Economics reframes economic analysis by recognizing coherence sustainability and cognitive capacity as primary constraints. Future economic systems may require architectures minimizing destructive load accumulation rather than maximizing informational throughput. ※ Series Declaration This work is part of the Understanding Capitalism series. The series explores value formation, cognitive mediation, and structural transformations of economic perception.