The Reliability and Classification Stability of the Learning Style Inventory in Corporate Settings

The Revised Learning Style Inventory (LSI II) was examined for internal consistency, test-retest reliability and stability of the four classifications resulting from the scores of subjects employed in industry. The results from this study were compared to the results of similar research conducted on a student sample (Sims, Veres, Watson, and Buckner, 1986). The internal consistency of the industrial sample was comparable to that of the students. Test-retest indices and classification stability, however, remained low for the industrial sample, a fact failing to support the Sims et al. hypothesis that the learning styles of students were not fully developed and thus contributed to observed instability. The results of this preliminary study in industry indicate that problems noted with students continue to operate in the assumably "more stable" industrial setting. Further research is discussed to identify the source of LSI instability.