The Malleability Of Intellectual Styles

Intellectual styles are individuals' preferred ways of using the abilities that they possess. The extent to which one can change his or her intellectual style is a question of interest to both researchers and the general public. This book presents the first comprehensive and systematic review of existing research on the malleability of intellectual styles. By critically analyzing research findings derived from both cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations performed over the past seven decades, Li-fang Zhang demonstrates that intellectual styles can be modified through both socialization and purposeful training. Professor Zhang elucidates the heuristic value of these findings for the development of adaptive intellectual styles in both academic and non-academic settings. She proposes further avenues of research that might advance scholarly understanding of the nature of and the potential for modifying intellectual styles.

This book is the first on the implications of intellectual styles for higher education of students with hearing impairment. It provides a systematic delineation for intellectual styles of students with hearing impairment in comparison with students without hearing impairment. It takes an initial step to present the analysis concerning the mediating role of intellectual styles in the relationships between personal factors and student developmental outcomes.

This book provides an up-to-date, panoramic picture of the field of intellectual styles through describing, analyzing, and integrating the major theoretical and research works on the topic. Readers will gain a broad understanding of the field--its nature, origins, historical development, theories, research, and applications, as well as the interrelationships among major theoretical constructs proposed by different theorists in the past few decades. In particular, three major controversial issues in the field are addressed by both empirical findings and literature review: styles as better versus worse or as equal in merit; styles as traits versus styles as states; and styles as different constructs versus styles as similar constructs with different style labels. Educators will find ideas on how to improve their teaching and assessment of student performance. Student development specialists will be interested in the book because intellectual styles, as evidenced by recent studies, play a critical role in many aspects of student development including cognitive, affective, psychosocial, and career development. Psychologists will gain an understanding of an important facet of the field at the interface between cognition and personality. Managers in business will find the book relevant to such issues as effective supervision and staff training and development. The Nature of Intellectual Styles is intended for anyone--particularly researchers and students in the fields of education, psychology, and business management--who is interested in understanding intellectual styles and their effects on daily life.

This book presents the first comprehensive and systematic review of international research on the value of intellectual styles.

[B]ecause of the thoroughness of the literature reviews and the comprehensive coverage of the chapter topics, [this book] should be required reading for any scholar working in related areas of personality or intelligence."--PsycCRITIQUES "This book is a masterly attempt to bring order and cohesion to a field that for many years has been riven with claims and counterclaims. The editors and authors are to be congratulated for addressing a very complex task so helpfully." John Biggs, PhD Honorary Professor of Psychology University of Hong Kong "If you are interested in intellectual stylesópeople's preferred ways of processing informationóthen this book belongs on your bookshelf." Richard E. Mayer, PhD Professor of Psychology University of California, Santa Barbara "For more than half a century, the construct of styleówhether designated as cognitive, thinking or learningóhas been in or out of fashion in the history of psychology and education. The editors of the present Handbook have invigorated the style construct in the form of intellectual styles, and have brought together a distinguished international panel of chapter authors who offer up-to-date surveys of the assessment, development, correlates, and educational and organizational applications of intellectual styles. For those seeking to familiarize themselves with current theory and research in an intellectually exciting field, the present Handbook is essential." Nathan Kogan, PhD Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology New School for Social Research, New York, NY The concept of intellectual styles has had a controversial history based on diverse philosophical and theoretical foundations. Most recently, the idea of intellectual stylesóan umbrella term that covers such closely related constructs as "cognitive styles," "learning styles," "teaching styles," and "thinking styles"óhas gained momentum as an explanation for why different people succeed in different professional and organizational settings. Previously, it was thought that high-achievers simply had more innate abilities than their less successful peers, but research has shown that individuals have different intellectual styles that are better suited for varying types of contexts and problems. Based on the most current and expansive research, this handbook is the first to provide a comprehensive review of research on the construct of intellectual style, from its foundations and development, to its relations to allied constructs, its roles in school and job performance, its applications in various populations, and its future.. This understanding of intellectual styles as a valid concept for both individuals and groups has far-reaching implications for researchers in cross-cultural psychology, multicultural education, organizational behavior and work performance, and many other academic disciplines, as well as practitioners in education and beyond. Key Features: Provides a comprehensive review of intellectual styles from multiple perspectives Written for students and scholars in diverse academic arenas, as well as practitioners in education and other fields Includes contributions from researchers from diverse disciplines, such as psychology, business, education, and health sciences

"...provide[s] and in-depth review of intellectual styles...All the contributors provide important information...Each chapter includes extensive references...Summing up: Recommended. Choice Teachers too often assume that student performance levels are based solely on the student's intelligence, effort, and motivation. This book takes a unique perspective, arguing that the difference in students' performance may be nothing more than differences in intellectual styles of learning or thinking. Intellectual styles simply refer to individualized ways of processing information. This stimulating and provocative text integrates the most recent theories and research on intellectual styles. The internationally acclaimed contributors address cutting-edge, controversial issues in the field that have yet to be resolved, including whether certain intellectual styles are better than others, how creativity affects intellectual style, and whether styles are traits or states. Key Features: Distinguishes intellectual styles from other constructs, such as intellectual capacity or effort levels Situates the field of styles within the larger context of the psychological, educational, and business literatures Provides concrete guidelines for researchers, teachers, and employers to apply the concept of intellectual styles to educational and business settings Researchers, teachers, employers, psychologists, and students will find this book to be a fascinating, engaging read, offering a breadth and depth of insight into the nature of intellectual styles.

Thinking styles, defined as one’s preferred way of using abilities, have been considered as an important factor in explaining human performance. However, is it worthwhile to pay attention to thinking styles in addition to traditional constructs in individual differences, such as personality? Are there good styles or bad styles? Can thinking style be cultivated? Which thinking styles should we aim to cultivate? And how to cultivate these styles? This book answers these questions and more by addressing three major controversial issues in the field of styles: namely, whether thinking styles are distinct from, or are part of, personality traits; whether or not thinking styles can be changed; and whether or not thinking styles are value-laden. Based on a comprehensive review of previous literature and the analyses of results from a mixed-method, longitudinal study, the book provides solid and intriguing research evidence to the discussion of the above issues. Both academics and graduate students who wish to do research in the field of styles will find the book useful for its insights into the nature of thinking styles.

The Routledge International Handbook of Research on Teaching Thinking is a comprehensive guide to research on teaching thinking. Teaching thinking is key to growing a more successful economy, is needed for increased democratic engagement and is vital for the well-being of individuals faced with the complexity of a globalised world. However, there are questions about what we mean by ‘thinking’, how best to teach it and how best to assess it, and it is these questions that this handbook explores and addresses. Containing surveys and summaries of international, cutting-edge research on every aspect of teaching thinking in a range of contexts, the handbook is thorough in its delivery, examining many different approaches and methods to help readers understand what teaching thinking is and how we can best take this movement forward. Key topics include: • Theoretical perspectives on teaching thinking • Approaches for teaching thinking • Developing creative thinking • Developing critical thinking and metacognition • The assessment of thinking • Teaching thinking in the context of STEM • Collaborative thinking and new technology • Neuro-educational research on teaching thinking This book is an essential guide for policy-makers, teachers and researchers who are interested in teaching thinking