Kristen Parrott

February 10, 2016

EDUC 250
Learning Styles
Learning Styles
There are many different types of learning styles among individuals. Some of these
include reflectivity, impulsivity, field-dependence, field independence, and mental selfgovernment. It is important for educators to know and understand each of these learning styles to
better understand their students.
There are reflective students, and then there are impulsive students. A reflective student
tends to spend more time thinking about the topic before giving a response, where as an
impulsive student tends to respond quickly to questions and topics. Reflective students often to
better at remembering structured information, reading comprehension, problem solving, decision
making, and goal settings than their impulsive peers (Learning and Thinking Styles). To help
impulsive students think more about their answers, it is important to encourage them to think
more in depth about the topic and praise them when they take the time to do so.
Some children are field-dependent and field-independent. Children who are more field
dependent have a perception of and thinking about a task or problem [that is] strongly
influenced by such contextual factors as additional information and other peoples behavior
(McCown, Snowman, 629). When a person is field-independent, their perception of thinking
about a task or problem [is] influenced more by the persons knowledge base than by the
presence of additional information or other peoples behavior (McCown, Snowman, 629).
Although these are two completely different learning styles, most people do not exhibit one more
than another. People use both types of styles in their lives. More field-dependent students notes

Kristen Parrott
February 10, 2016
EDUC 250
Learning Styles
are more structured, and reflect that of the teachers, while field-independent students notes have
more personal meaning to them.
Mental self-government is a theory of learning styles developed by Sternberg. In this
theory, 13 mental-self-government styles fall into five categories. These categories are functions,
forms, levels, scope, and leaning. Within these categories consists styles of legislative, executive,
judicial, monarchic, hierarchic, oligarchic, anarchic, global, local, internal, external, liberal, and
conservative. People usually show a few of these styles as preferences when learning.

Kristen Parrott
February 10, 2016
EDUC 250
Learning Styles
References
Learning and Thinking Styles Feb. 8 2016. Retrieved from:
http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/hwaters/psy327/slide
%20sets/327set4b_learningstyles.pdf
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2015). Cengage Learning (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage
Learning.