Some behavioral implications of cognitive styles in childhood

Abstract

Of the large number of cognitive‐style dimensions introduced into the psychological literature over the past 40 years, only a relatively small number have survived to serve as foci of contemporary research. The present paper considers three styles for which there is an available literature based on child samples—field dependence‐independence, reflection‐impulsivity, and breadth‐narrowness of categorization. These constructs are defined conceptually and operationally, their developmental trajectories are examined, and their implications for behavior are pursued. All three styles demonstrate meaningful developmental continuities or discontinuities, and all are shown to have important behavioral implications. The child's location at one polar extreme of a style is often advantageous with respect to the child's adaptive functioning, location at the opposite extreme can be disadvantageous. Such contrasts pose conceptual difficulties for those who view cognitive styles as a value‐free alternative to cognitive a...