We see, hear, smell, touch… in short, we perceive the stimuli that surround us. We process this information and based on these perceptions we form an idea of what is happening around us and then act accordingly. It may be that for most people what we perceive is what actually happens , but not everyone perceives or processes the same thing in the same way.

Everyone has a specific cognitive style that makes us see reality in a particular way and focus more or less on certain aspects.

Cognitive styles: the concept

The concept of cognitive styles refers to the set of different ways of perceiving, processing, storing and using the information available in the medium. It is a set of mainly cognitive skills that are influenced by different aspects and that govern the way we capture what surrounds us, which in turn influences the way we act.

Strictly speaking, cognitive style is the way our mind acts regardless of the content of it. The style in question will depend on the personality of the individual, the abilities he has focused on and the learning he has done throughout his life.

Cognitive styles, as the term indicates, are determined by a set of predominantly cognitive parameters. However, they are also influenced by the emotional sphere and the integration of values and motivations . In fact, they are conceptualized as the reflection of the relationship between cognition and affect and they configure one of the main elements that allow the formation of the personality and the existence of individual differences. In part they are acquired throughout life, but there are biological influences that predispose towards one style or another.

Main typologies of cognitive style

In general, the main types of cognitive style have been classified in bipolar continuums that give a concrete way of observing reality .

One is not necessarily one or the other, but our style may be somewhere in between. The following are some of the main styles considered by various authors, the most relevant and analysed being the first three.

1. Dependence vs. Independence of the field

This factor refers to the ability to abstract what is being analyzed or captured from the context in which it appears.

The field dependent usually has a global vision of the situation and can be influenced by it, while the field independent usually carries out a more independent analysis focused on the object to which they pay attention but without evaluating in the same way the context in which it appears. While the former have an external frame of reference focused on the situation, the latter start from a frame of reference focused on themselves.

On the other hand, the field dependent tends to have more interference in the memory although he tends to detect more the outstanding elements when forming concepts, to be more suggestible and visual, more sociable and affectively less controlled. On the other hand, the independent tends to be more verbal, more able to grasp the boundaries between things and people, more organized and less able to influence.

Generally, there is a tendency for field independence to increase until the age of 25 , when it stabilizes. Independence makes it less likely to be influenced by contextual variables, but this may be counterproductive since the totality of variables affecting reality is not taken into account. Thus, both the dependent and the independent have advantages and disadvantages in different aspects.

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2. Reflexivity vs. Impulsivity

On this occasion, mention is being made of the speed of reaction to stimuli . The impulsive will respond quickly and actively, although with a greater possibility of making mistakes. On the other hand, the reflective person takes time to analyze and evaluate the situation, which, although it allows them greater precision and efficiency, makes them slower and more inactive.

It is not only about speed but also about the way to face reality. The reflective one usually evaluates more options and performs more checks beforehand, while the impulsive one is more global. The reflective person tends to be calmer and more self-controlled, although more indecisive, while the impulsive person tends to be more anxious, sensitive and distrustful.

3. Sensory vs. Intuitive

On this occasion the cognitive style used may vary between the use of data available through the senses and the use of imagination and intuition to capture relationships beyond the perceptible. The sensory style is based on already existing information , while the intuitive style tends to have a mentality a little more focused on spontaneous processing and going beyond what the data has to offer.

4. Verbal vs. Visual vs. Haptic

This time the divergence is in the way the person captures the information better, whether by iconic or auditory means. There is also the haptic, which captures reality better through touch. The latter is usually associated with infants and the elderly while the first two are more appropriate for young people and adults.

5. Global vs. Analytical / Holistic vs. Serial

Similar to field dependence and independence, but this time focused already on the object or situation itself rather than on the context. The overall style focuses on identifying the object as a whole as a single unit and undertakes its analysis as such. Everything is processed as a block. However, the analytical style subdivides the whole into different details from which starts to process the information without needing to know the totality of the data.

6. Convergent vs Divergent

Linked in part to creativity, while the convergent style focuses on seeking a concrete solution based on the convergence of available information, the divergent style tries to propose diverse alternatives from which it may be difficult to choose.

7. Leveler vs. Sharpener

Cognitive styles in this dimension refer to the ability or degree to which subjects are able to see similarities and differences between stimuli. While the leveler tends to ignore or underestimate the differences between elements for simplicity and this allows them to generalise more easily, sharpeners tend to retain the differences and highlight them, distinguishing different elements more clearly.

8. Tolerant vs. Intolerant

This dimension refers to the ability of each person to have flexibility and open-mindedness towards the possibility of the existence of elements diverging from what is expected and established by the norm or the observation itself. The tolerant accepts the possibility that there are other alternatives and is able to modify his cognitive structures to encompass them, while the intolerant does not do so.

Importance of cognitive styles

Cognitive styles are an important element of our person that can help us better understand how each person processes information from the environment or from within. Beyond the descriptive, this can have implications in various areas such as education or clinical practice .

For example, a child with primarily visual processing will find it more complex to capture verbal information and will remember knowledge better if graphics or sight-centered stimuli are applied. This is the case for many children with different disorders, such as in many cases of autism spectrum disorder or in many speech disorders, where the use of pictograms and more visual information facilitate the understanding and acquisition of skills and knowledge.

At a clinical level it is also very relevant if we consider that the cognitive style facilitates the interpretation of reality in a certain way. For example, it has been identified that field-dependent patients tend more towards pathologies such as depression, while field-independent patients tend more towards psychotic disorders . Similarly, the impulsive tends to stress, or the reflective may approach obsessive disorders.

Taking into account cognitive styles can be of great help in establishing individualized plans in a variety of areas, allowing for a substantial improvement in the abilities and well-being of each person based on the adjustment of expectations and the help offered to them to move forward.

Bibliographic references:

  • Hernangómez, L. and Fernández, C. (2012). Personality and differential psychology. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 07. CEDE: Madrid.
  • Quiroga, Mª. A. (1999). Individual differences in cognition-emotion interrelations: cognitive styles. In Sánchez, J. & Sánchez, M. P. (Eds.). Differential psychology: human diversity and individuality. 2nd edition. Madrid. Ramón Areces Foundation.
  • Padilla, V.M.; Rodríguez, M.C. and López, E.O. (2007). Cognitive styles and learning. In: La voz de los investigadores en Psicología Educativa. Veracruz Culture Publishing House.