Concept mapping-An effective method for identifying diversity and congruity in cognitive style.
This paper investigates the effects of cognitive style for decision making on the behaviour of participants in different phases of the group concept mapping process (GCM). It is argued that cognitive style should be included directly in the coordination of the GCM process and not simply considered as yet another demographic variable. The cognitive styles were identified using the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory, which locates each person's style on a continuum ranging from very adaptive to very innovative. Cognitive style could explain diversity in the participants' behaviour in different phases of the GCM process. At the same time, the concept map as a group's common cognitive construct can consolidate individual differences and serves as a tool for managing diversity in groups of participants. Some of the results were that: (a) the more adaptive participants generated ideas that fit to a particular, well-established and consensually agreed paradigm, frame of reference, theory or practice; (b) the more innovative participants produced ideas that were more general in scope and required changing a settled structure (paradigm, frame of reference, theory or practice); and (c) the empirical comparison of the map configurations through Procrustes analysis indicated a strong dissimilarity between cognitive styles.
Open University of the Netherlands, 177, Valkenburgerweg, 6401 DL, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: slavi.stoyanov@ou.nl.
Slavi
S
Stoyanov
Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Great Valley, 30 E. Swedesford Rd., Malvern, PA 19355, USA. Electronic address: KWL3@psu.edu.
Kathryn
K
Jablokow
Concept System, Inc., 136 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA. Electronic address: srosas@conceptsystems.com.
Scott R
SR
Rosas
Open University of the Netherlands, 177, Valkenburgerweg, 6401 DL, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: iwan.wopereis@ou.nl.
Iwan G J H
IGJH
Wopereis
Open University of the Netherlands, 177, Valkenburgerweg, 6401 DL, Heerlen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: paul.kirschner@ou.nl.
Paul A
PA
Kirschner
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D036262:Empirical Research; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012107:Research Design
Cognitive style; Group concept mapping; Procrustes analysis