The potential for using cognitive styles as selection predictors for allied health education administration programs

Institutions of higher education appear to be using inappropriate measures to select students who aspire to become allied health education administrators. Therefore, new selection predictors need to be developed and validated. This article reports the results of a survey investigation conducted to determine the feasibility of using two cognitive styles, dogmatism and integrative complexity, as selection predictors for allied health graduate leadership programs. The findings indicate that current allied health education administrators are similar in cognitive style, low in dogmatism and high in integrative complexity. The findings support the premise that cognitive styles are related to both occupational choice and performance and, thus, provide a potentially powerful basis for selecting appropriate individuals for allied health graduate leadership programs.