COGNITIVE STYLE

COGNITIVE STYLE
How can several people look at one common object
and describe it correctly, yet in so many different
ways? Why is it that people exhibit the same variability
when experiencing identical events? Psychologists believe
that individual biological and psychological differences
affect the ways in which people perceive
events, objects, sights, sounds, and feelings. Thus,
when several people encounter an identical object or
event, each might experience a different perception
of that object or event. There is no question that the
exposure of infants and children to different experiences
shapes their personalities and influences who
they are and how they interpret things. And many educators
and researchers are now focusing their attention
on these differences to further understand how
individuals in the classroom perceive information
and learn in different ways.
Cognitive style is the manner by which individuals
perceive information in the environment and the
patterns of thought that they use to develop a knowledge
base about the world around them. The concept
of styles of cognition, an area under continuing investigation,
has been discussed and researched in the
psychological community as early as the late 1930s.
Knowledge gained concerning cognitive styles provides
the opportunity to learn more about individual
differences. This knowledge can then be applied to
assist teachers, counselors, and all professionals who
are involved in children’s learning experiences.
There are three very important cognitive styles:
leveling-sharpening, field-dependence/field-independence,
and reflectivity-impulsivity. Cognitive
styles are distinct from individual intelligence, but
they may affect personality development and how individuals
learn and apply information. And while research
has shown that these differences precede
environmental shaping, the effects of cognitive styles
can be accented or mitigated by many outside factors,
such as classroom setting, social experiences, and vocational
choices. It is for this reason that research in
this area is so important and that it is critical to train
educational professionals in methods to address these
differences in the classroom.