Cognitive Style and Learner Strategy Interaction in the Performance of Primary and Related Maze Tasks

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Abstract
The effect of designated learning strategies and reflective versus impulsive cognitive styles on performance in a maze learning task was investigated. Twenty-four female subjects were randomly assigned to a strategy or control group. The strategies group was provided with three potentially effective strategies (imagery, rhythm, and feedback) as identified by an information processing task analysis procedure. The Matching Familiar Figures test further classified subjects within the two groups according to their preferred styles of responding. Eleven primary task trials were administered with direct view of maze and four related task trials were completed with an indirect view of it. Traversal speed and time in the incorrect pathways were analyzed with a 2 × 2 × 7 (Strategies × Cognitive Styles × Trial Blocks) repeated measures ANOVA. A significant three-way interaction was found for both dependent measures. As hypothesized, during the primary task the control reflective subjects traversed the maze more slowly than the control impulsive subjects. However, the strategies reflective subjects completed the maze with the same speed as strategies impulsives. The incorrect pathways × time interaction revealed that the control reflective subjects spent less time in the incorrect pathways during the related task than the control impulsives. No significant differences were found for strategies reflectives or impulsives. These findings indicate that, for this maze task that emphasized speed, the performance of reflective and impulsive subjects was facilitated by appropriate learning strategies.