Cognitive Style Case Study

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Identifying the key dimensions As demonstrated in Table 2, the nomenclature used to describe aspects of cognitive style are profuse leading to questions as to how many dimensions of style there are. Whilst some researchers are in agreement that there are 'two superordinate dimensions, of cognitive style' (Witkin, 1950; Riding, 1991; Entwistle, 1981; Biggs, 1978; Schmeck, 1988; Riding and Cheema, 1991; Sadler-Smith 2000a: 191), this view has been questioned by others. These two style families: include: 'wholist-analytic and 'verbaliser-imager."I feel that all cognitive styles can be encompassed by one broad, inclusive dimension of individual difference, labeled "global versus analytic"... I am arguing that all of these, at some level of abstraction are reflections of a single dimension" (Schmeck 1988: 327). Table 2: Cognitive Style Labels WHOLIST ANALYTIC RESEARCHER Retains a global view of information 1. Levellers 2. Field Dependence 3. Divergers 4. Impulsive 5. Holist 6. Right brain Process information into its component parts Sharpeners Field Independence Convergers Reflective Serialist …show more content…

Table 2.1: Categories of Cognitive Behaviour (Hill, Puurula, Sitko-Lutek and Rakowska, 2000) 1. Field-Dependence/ Independence: whether people rely on context in sense- making; 2. Visual-Verbal: whether people prefer to take in and process information visually or by other means; 3. Wholist/Analyst: whether people prefer to take in and process information as a whole or in bits; 4. Cognitive tempo/reflectivity v impulsivity: whether people prefer to take in and process information quickly or more slowly with greater or less informational input and greater /less concern for accuracy. 2 Measurability of Cognitive

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