Chapter 3 Further Reflections: Cognitive Style

 

Chapter 3 Further Reflections: Cognitive Style

Instructions

         This assessment is designed to get an impression of your cognitive style, based on the work of psychologies Carl Jung. For each of the following 12 pairs, place a “1” next to the statement that best describes you.  Do this for each pair even though the description you chose may not be perfect.  Calculate at the end as shown and upload results to your blog.

 

1.	a.	I prefer to learn from experience.
	b. (1)	I prefer to find meanings in facts and how they fit together.
2.	a. (1)	I prefer to use my eyes, ears and other senses to find out what is going on.
	b.	I prefer to use imagination to come up with new ways to do things.
3.	a.(1)	I prefer to use standard ways to deal with routine problems.
	b.	I prefer to use novel ways to deal with new problems.
4.	a. (1)	I prefer to learn from experience.
	b.	I prefer to find meanings in facts and how they fit together.
5.	a.	I am patient with details, but get impatient when they get complicated.
	b.(1)	I am impatient and jump to conclusions, but am also creative, imaginative, and inventive.
6.	a.(1)	I enjoy using skills already mastered more than learning new ones.
	b.	I like learning new skills more than practicing old ones.
7.	a.	I prefer to decide things logically.
	b.(1)	I prefer to decide things based on feelings and values.
8.	a.(1)	I like to be treated with justice and fairness.
	b.	I like to be praised and to please other people.
9.	a.	I sometimes neglect or hurt other people’s feelings without realizing it.
	b.(1)	I am aware of other people’s feelings.
10.	a.(1)	I give more attention to ideas and things than to human relationships.
	b.	I can predict how others will feel.
11.	a.(1)	I do not need harmony; arguments and conflicts don’t bother me.
	b.	I value harmony and get upset by arguments and conflicts.
12.	a.	I am often described as analytical, impersonal, unemotional, objective, critical, hard-nosed, rational.
	b.(1)	I am often described as sympathetic, people-oriented, unorganized, uncritical, understanding, ethical.

 

 

Scoring

Sum your scores as follows, and record them in the space provided. (Note that the Sensing and Feeling scores will be recorded as negatives.)

 

__4__ Sensing (S Type) = 1a + 2a + 3a + 4a + 5a + 6a

__2__ Intuitive (N Type) = 1b + 2b + 3b + 4b + 5b + 6b

__3__ Thinking (T Type) = 7a + 8a + 9a + 10a + 11a + 12a

__3__ Feeling (F Type) = 7b + 8b + 9b + 10b + 11b + 12b

Plot your scores on the following graph.  Place an “X” at the point that indicates your suggested problem-solving style.

Interpretation

This assessment examines cognitive style through the contrast of personal tendencies toward information gathering (sensation vs. intuition) and information evaluation (feeling vs. thinking) in one’s approach to problem solving. The result is a classification of four master cognitive styles, with the following characteristics. Read the descriptions and consider the implications of your suggested style, including how well you might work with persons whose styles are very different.

Sensation Thinkers: STs tend to emphasize the impersonal rather than the personal, and take a realistic approach to problem solving. They like hard “facts,” clear goals, certainty and situations of high control.

Intuitive Thinkers: NTs are comfortable with abstraction and unstructured situations. They tend to be idealistic, prone toward intellectual and theoretical positions; they are logical and impersonal, but also avoid details.

Intuitive Feelers: NFs prefer broad and global issues. They are insightful and tend to avoid details, being comfortable with intangibles; they value flexibility and human relationships.

Sensation Feelers: SFs tend to emphasize both analysis and human relations. They tend to be realistic and prefer facts; they are open communicators, and sensitive to feelings and values.