Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping: Applications in Behavioural Science Research

Bhavana Sajeev *

College of Agriculture, Ambalavayal, KAU, Thrissur, India.

M. J. Mercykutty

Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, KAU, Thrissur, India.

Amrith Raj

Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, KAU, Thrissur, India.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) is a flexible modelling approach that connects qualitative understanding with quantitative causal representation, making it useful for examining complex problems in behavioural science research. This methodological article provides an overview of the conceptual foundations, procedural stages and research applications of FCM, with attention to its role in representing stakeholder knowledge, causal assumptions and system behaviour. A structured bibliometric analysis was conducted using records from the Dimensions database and visualised through VOSviewer. The analysis covered 232 publications from 2015 to 2025 and examined publication trends, citation networks, co-authorship patterns, institutional and country-level collaborations, bibliographic coupling and source-level co-citation relationships. The findings show a steady increase in FCM-related publications, especially after 2020, indicating growing academic interest in participatory modelling, scenario analysis and decision-support approaches. The bibliometric maps identify influential documents, collaborative author groups, leading organisations and countries, and clustered sources contributing to the development of the field. The manuscript also describes key methodological steps in FCM construction, including concept elicitation, adjacency matrices, quantitative and qualitative aggregation, network analysis and scenario analysis. Overall, the paper demonstrates that FCM can support behavioural and social science inquiry where uncertainty, perception, causal complexity and stakeholder participation are central to understanding research problems.

Keywords: Fuzzy cognitive mapping, behavioural science, bibliometric analysis, VOSviewer, co-authorship, citation analysis


How to Cite

Sajeev, Bhavana, M. J. Mercykutty, and Amrith Raj. 2026. “Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping: Applications in Behavioural Science Research”. Archives of Current Research International 26 (7):473-90. https://doi.org/10.9734/acri/2026/v26i72022.

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