Perceptions of Cognitive Styles: Acquisition, Exhibition and Implications for Information System Design

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Abstract
Cognitive style perceptions are suggested as possible explanations for the communication barrier often found to exist between system specialists and the users of information systems. Two empirical studies are presented which demonstrate that (a) perceptual differences can be observed for specific cognitive styles and between subjects possessing contrasting educational backgrounds, (b) no apparent relationship exists between cognitive style perceptions and cognitive behaviors, and (c) consistent differences were shown in the manner in which subjects perceived the analytic (more potent) and heuristic (less potent) cognitive styles. The implications of these findings f or the inf ormation system design process are discussed.