Training and Individual Difference Effects on the Ability to Visually Discriminate Serially Presented Graphics: Short Term Memory Capacity in Analytic and Holistic Cognitive Styles

Abstract

Participants were screened for individual differences in short term memory (STM) capacity (high, low) and cognitive style (analytic, holistic) before beginning a serially-presented visual discrimination task. Participants were trained with either easy or difficult discriminations, then were transferred to novel discriminations. Variables were measured on a continuum, then dichotomized for analysis of variance. Cognitive style did not correlate with STM capacity. The two individual difference measures interacted, however, to affect accuracy performance on the transfer session of the discrimination task. Results suggest that individual differences in cognitive ability and cognitive style are orthogonal constructs that interact to affect skill acquisition and strategy development for visual-spatial tasks. Implications related to discrimination training and computer interface design are discussed.