Dimensions of Cognitive Closure

This study investigated the generality of the perceptual factors of speed and flexibility of closure in the cognitive domain. Several experimental measures of both flexibility and speed of closure employing perceptual or figural content, verbal or symbolic content, and semantic content were administered to 541 Naval Aviation Cadets, along with marker measures for several established factors. In addition to several of these marker dimensions, factors were obtained for both flexibility and speed of figural closure, of verbal or symbolic closure, and of semantic closure, along with a dimension tentatively interpreted as flexibility of grammatical closure. The substantial intercorrelations among these factors yielded four second-order dimensions, interpreted as analytical functioning or general reasoning, figural closure, symbolic closure, and semantic closure. The latter three factors each represent a combination of analytical and structuring skills (a coalescence of flexibility and speed of closure) and are distinguished by the type of content involved (figure, symbol, or meaning).