Estilos cognitivos de universitarios e iniciação cientifica

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

1998

RESUMO

Cognitive styles are regarded as fairly stable characteristics of a person s cognitive structure, partly established by biological factors and influenced by culture. This research aimed at: 1) describing and comparing the preferable cognitive styles of college students from different schools and verifying whether the predominant styles vary according to the students gender and the year they are taking; 2) describing the preferable cognitive styles of students who have been scientific initiation scholars and verifying whether the predominant styles vary according to their area and to the length of time of their experience in scientific initiation programs; 3) comparing preferable cognitive styles of students with and without experience in scientific initiation. The data was collected through a Likert type scale and the sample consisted of 973 college students from Biology, Psychology and Architecture schools. The instrument was developed aiming at the description of four dimensions of cognitive styles: Convergent-Divergent, Dependence Field-Independence Field, Holist-Serialist and Impulsive-Reflective. The data was analysed through statistics and the level of significance was p -<0,05. The significative results indicate that there is a predominance of styles according to the students gender: women are less Divergent and less Impulsive, more Reflective and Field Dependent. The analysis of the different classes of each school suggests that from its beginning to the end it occurs a decrease of Convergent and Dependence Field styles in Psychology; as for Architecture school, it turns out a tendency to the development of Holist, Independence Field and Reflective styles. Among the students with and without experience in scientific initiation programs it is observed that the scientific initiation scholars from the three schools turn out to be less Convergent than their classmakes; the scholars from Psychology school are more Divergent and less Dependent Field; the Architecture schoolars are more Divergent, Holist, Reflective and less Impulsive. The experience period in scientific initiation proved to be responsible for the decrease of Dependence Field. This study provides support to the conclusion that female and mal e students differ from one another as far as cognitive styles are concerned; they are not stable but liable to change over the college years; the experience in scientific initiation programs also seems to be relevant to the modification of the cognitive styles. It is suggested that other studies about this issue be developed 50 that the questions raised here can be deepened

ASSUNTO(S)

pesquisadores estudantes universitarios pesquisa estilo cognitivo psicologia educacional

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