Measures of Cognitive Styles: A Critical Review

Abstract

The target of this analysis is the soundness of the evidence for cognitive styles. Cognitive styles were examined to question the relation between conceptual and empirical levels. Several criteria for the distinction between cognitive styles and intellective abilities (Messick, 1984) were posited to answer this question. My analysis demonstrates the limitations oh: the evidence in support of cognitive styles. The measures of cognitive styles do not sufficiently match the criteria on the conceptual level: Consistent convergent and discriminant validity is lacking. Most style measures are best interpreted as ability tests. I Sufficient empirical evidence of any cognitive style dimension in the sense of a bipolar, value-differentiated preference construct cutting across domains is lacking. Although cognitive style research is not rendered completely useless, a vast amount of empirical research needs to be reinterpreted.