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Cognitive style and personality in 12-year-old children
1Assessment Research Unit, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK.
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Children's cognitive styles influence personality perceptions. Verbalizers are seen as more Active, while Imagers are viewed as more Responsible, with gender also playing a role.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Personality traits are crucial in social development.
- Cognitive styles, such as Verbal-Imagery and Wholist-Analytic, may influence how individuals perceive personality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive styles and personality trait perceptions in 12-year-old children.
- To examine gender differences in personality perceptions.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 380 12-year-old children rated peers on personality characteristics.
- The Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) was administered to assess Verbal-Imagery and Wholist-Analytic dimensions.
- Factor analysis was used to group personality characteristics into Active, Modest, and Responsible variables.
Main Results:
- Significant associations were found between Verbal-Imagery cognitive style and personality ratings.
- Verbalizers were perceived as more Active, while Imagers were seen as more Responsible.
- Girls were rated as more Modest and Responsible, whereas boys were rated as more Active. Girls also scored higher on Helpful and Sensible traits.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive style is a significant factor in how children perceive personality traits in their peers.
- Gender influences personality perceptions, with distinct patterns observed for boys and girls.
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