The 8 cognitive styles: how does each person usually think?

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. maybe for most people what we perceive is what actually happens, but not everyone perceives or processes the same thing and in the same way.

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

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Cognitive styles: the concept

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

Strictly speaking, cognitive style is the way our mind acts regardless of the content this. The style in question will depend on the personality of the individual, the abilities on which they have focused and the learning they have done throughout their lives.

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

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Main typologies of cognitive style

In general, the main types of cognitive style have been classified into bipolar continua that account for a concrete way of observing reality.

It is not necessarily one thing or the other, but our style can be located somewhere in between. Below are some of the main styles considered by various authors, the first three being the most relevant and analyzed.

1. Field Dependence vs. Independence

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

The field assistant usually has a global vision of the situation and can be influenced by it, while the field independents tend to perform 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 first has an external frame of reference centered on the situation, the second starts from a frame of reference centered on themselves.

On the other hand, the field dependent usually has more interference in memory, although he tends to detect more outstanding elements when it comes to forming concepts, being more suggestible and visual, more sociable and affectively less controlled. On the other hand, the independent is usually more verbal, captures more the borders between things and people, is more organized and less easily influenced.

Generally tends to that field independence is increasing up to 25 years, when it stabilizes. Independence makes it less likely to be influenced by contextual variables, but this can be counterproductive since all the variables that affect reality are 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 his 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 just about speed but also about how to face reality. The reflective person tends to evaluate more options and perform more checks beforehand, while the impulsive one is more global. The reflective person is usually calmer and self-controlled, although more indecisive, while the impulsive person is usually more anxious, sensitive and distrustful.

3. Sensory vs Intuitive

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

4. Verbal vs Visual vs Haptic

On this occasion, the divergence is found in the way in which the person better captures the information, whether through iconic or auditory means. There is also the haptic, which better captures reality through touch. The latter It is usually linked to infants and the elderly while the first two are more typical of young people and adults.

5. Global vs Analytical / Holistic vs Serial

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

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6. Convergent vs Divergent

Partly linked to creativity, while the convergent style focuses on finding a specific solution from the convergence of available information, the divergent try to propose different alternatives among which it can be difficult to choose.

7. Leveler vs Sharpener

The cognitive styles of 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 differences between items to simplify and this allows them to generalize more easily, sharpeners tend to retain differences and highlight them, distinguishing different elements more clearly.

8. Tolerant vs Intolerant

This dimension refers to each person's ability to be flexible and open-minded towards possibility of the existence of divergent elements with what is expected and established by the standard or the standard itself observation. The tolerant accepts the possibility that other alternatives exist and is capable of modifying their cognitive structures to encompass them, while the intolerant does no such thing.

Importance of Cognitive Styles

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

For example, a child with primarily visual processing will find it more difficult to grasp verbal information and will remember the knowledge better if graphs or stimuli centered on the view. This is what happens with many children with different disorders, such as in many cases of autism spectrum disorder or in many speech disorders, in which the use of pictograms and more visual information facilitate understanding and acquisition of skills and knowledge.

At the clinical level it is also highly relevant if we take into account that cognitive style makes it easier to interpret reality in a certain way. For example, it has been identified that field-dependent patients are more prone to pathologies such as depression, while the field independents they do towards psychotic disorders. In the same way, the impulsive person tends to stress, or the reflective person can approach obsessive disorders.

Taking cognitive styles into account can be of great help to establish individualized plans in a variety of areas, allowing a substantial improvement of the capacities and well-being of each person from the adjustment of expectations and the aid offered to them advance.