Scores from riding's cognitive styles analysis have poor test-retest reliability.
BACKGROUND
The Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) purports to assess two cognitive style dimensions, wholist-analytic (WA) and verbalizer-imager (VI). CSA score reliability has not been studied in medical education.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate test-retest reliability and learner-perceived accuracy of CSA scores.


METHODS
CSA scores were measured twice and perceived accuracy of classifications once among 89 family medicine residents, internal medicine residents, and medical students.


RESULTS
Mean +/- standard deviation interval between tests was 564 +/- 136 days. Test-retest correlation for WA scores was 0.30, and for VI scores was 0.12. Upon retesting 44 learners (49%) were classified under a different WA style, and 56 learners (63%) were classified under a different VI style. There were 58 of 73 learners (79%) who agreed or strongly agreed with their WA classification, whereas 51 of 76 (67%) agreed with their VI classification.


CONCLUSIONS
CSA scores have poor test-retest reliability. Educators may wish to avoid using the CSA and should exercise caution when interpreting CSA scores.
Cook
David A
DA
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. cook.david33@mayo.edu
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000145:classification*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results