Dimensions of cognitive style.

Cognitive styles have been described as the distinctive ways in which individuals come to grips with reality. This research paper holds that such styles are manifestations of different response probabilities or response strengths in certain types or classes of behaviors. A cognitive style may manifest itself as a directive influence on behavior, i.e., certain responses have a greater probability of occurrence in ambiguous situations, or as an ability to resist disruption under interference conditions such as distraction. It is assumed that these response characteristics are common to responses within certain classes of behavior. A specific style or pattern appears, then, whenever a particular class of behavior is elicited. The present paper describes certain behavioral classes within which specific cognitive styles may be expected. Researchers have previously demonstrated a cognitive style involving conceptual and perceptual-motor classes of behavior. Subsequent unpublished work, however, has suggested that this style, which is termed conceptual versus perceptual-motor dominance, is limited to conceptual and perceptual-motor tasks which are novel, difficult, or concentration-demanding.