Edinburgh Research Explorer Different dimensions of cognitive style in typical and atypical cognition

We developed the Sussex Cognitive Styles Questionnaire (SCSQ) to investigate visual and verbal processing preferences and incorporate global/local processing orientations and systemising into a single, comprehensive measure. In Study 1 ( N = 1542), factor analysis revealed six reliable subscales to the final 60 item questionnaire: Imagery Ability (relating to the use of visual mental imagery in everyday life); Technical/Spatial (relating to spatial mental imagery, and numerical and technical cognition); Language & Word Forms ; Need for Organisation ; Global Bias ; and Systemising Tendency . Thus, we replicate previous findings that visual and verbal styles are separable, and that types of imagery can be subdivided. We extend previous research by showing that spatial imagery clusters with other abstract cognitive skills, and demonstrate that global/local bias can be separated from systemising. Study 2 validated the Technical/Spatial and Language & Word Forms factors by showing that they affect performance on memory tasks. In Study 3, we validated Imagery Ability , Technical/Spatial , Language & Word Forms , Global Bias , and Systemising Tendency by issuing the SCSQ to a sample of synaesthetes ( N = 121) who report atypical cognitive profiles on these subscales. Thus, the SCSQ consolidates research from traditionally disparate areas of cognitive science into a comprehensive cognitive style measure, which can be used in the general population, and special populations.

[1]  R. Shillcock,et al.  Validating a standardised test battery for synesthesia: Does the Synesthesia Battery reliably detect synesthesia? , 2015, Consciousness and Cognition.

[2]  A. Seth,et al.  An extended case study on the phenomenology of sequence-space synesthesia , 2014, Front. Hum. Neurosci..

[3]  Alfredo Campos,et al.  Gender differences in imagery , 2014 .

[4]  N. Rothen,et al.  Grapheme-color synaesthesia is associated with a distinct cognitive style , 2013, Front. Psychol..

[5]  J. Ward,et al.  Enhanced recognition memory in grapheme-color synaesthesia for different categories of visual stimuli , 2013, Front. Psychol..

[6]  Anil K. Seth,et al.  Diagnosing synaesthesia with online colour pickers: Maximising sensitivity and specificity , 2013, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[7]  Karen M. Arnell,et al.  Investigating the stability of and relationships among global/local processing measures , 2013, Attention, perception & psychophysics.

[8]  Mark C. Price,et al.  Do sequence-space synaesthetes have better spatial imagery skills? Maybe not , 2012, Cognitive Processing.

[9]  Michael B. Miller,et al.  Individual differences in cognitive style and strategy predict similarities in the patterns of brain activity between individuals , 2012, NeuroImage.

[10]  S. Rousset,et al.  Global precedence effect in audition and vision: evidence for similar cognitive styles across modalities. , 2011, Acta psychologica.

[11]  Sharon L. Thompson-Schill,et al.  Color, Context, and Cognitive Style: Variations in Color Knowledge Retrieval as a Function of Task and Subject Variables , 2011, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

[12]  J. Simner,et al.  A foundation for savantism? Visuo-spatial synaesthetes present with cognitive benefits , 2009, Cortex.

[13]  Mark C. Price.  Spatial forms and mental imagery , 2009, Cortex.

[14]  N. Sagiv,et al.  The impact of visuo-spatial number forms on simple arithmetic , 2009, Cortex.

[15]  Julia Simner,et al.  Synaesthetic visuo-spatial forms: Viewing sequences in space , 2009, Cortex.

[16]  Jonathan S. A. Carriere,et al.  Time–space synaesthesia – A cognitive advantage? , 2009, Consciousness and Cognition.

[17]  S. Muncer,et al.  Psychometric analysis of the systemizing quotient (SQ) scale. , 2009, British journal of psychology.

[18]  Maria Kozhevnikov,et al.  The new object‐spatial‐verbal cognitive style model: Theory and measurement , 2009 .

[19]  S. Baron-Cohen,et al.  Talent in autism: hyper-systemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity , 2009, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[20]  Sharon L Thompson-Schill,et al.  The Neural Correlates of Visual and Verbal Cognitive Styles , 2009, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[21]  S. Baron-Cohen.  Autism: The Empathizing–Systemizing (E‐S) Theory , 2009, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[22]  Ashok S. Jansari,et al.  Mental imagery and synaesthesia: Is synaesthesia from internally-generated stimuli possible? , 2008, Cognition.

[23]  Giuseppe Vallar,et al.  Visualizing numbers in the mind's eye: The role of visuo-spatial processes in numerical abilities , 2008, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

[24]  Fiona N. Newell,et al.  Synaesthesia is associated with enhanced, self-rated visual imagery , 2008, Consciousness and Cognition.

[25]  Julia Simner,et al.  Beyond perception: synaesthesia as a psycholinguistic phenomenon , 2007, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[26]  Akio Wakabayashi,et al.  Development of short forms of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-Short) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ-Short) , 2006 .

[27]  Jamie Ward,et al.  Synaesthesia: The Prevalence of Atypical Cross-Modal Experiences , 2006, Perception.

[28]  Michael A. Motes,et al.  Object-Spatial Imagery: A New Self-Report Imagery Questionnaire , 2006 .

[29]  Jennifer M. Shephard,et al.  Spatial versus object visualizers: A new characterization of visual cognitive style , 2005, Memory & cognition.

[30]  N. Lowery,et al.  Global-Local Visual Biases Correspond With Visual-Spatial Orientation , 2004, Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology.

[31]  Charity Brown,et al.  Verbal overshadowing of multiple face and car recognition: effects of within‐ versus across‐category verbal descriptions , 2003 .

[32]  Simon Baron-Cohen,et al.  The systemizing quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, and normal sex differences. , 2003, Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences.

[33]  Charity Brown,et al.  Verbal overshadowing in a multiple face presentation paradigm: effects of description instruction , 2002 .

[34]  C Neil Macrae,et al.  Do I Know You? Processing Orientation and Face Recognition , 2002, Psychological science.

[35]  S. Baron-Cohen,et al.  The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism, Malesand Females, Scientists and Mathematicians , 2001, Journal of autism and developmental disorders.

[36]  Christopher T. Lovelace,et al.  Mechanisms of synesthesia: cognitive and physiological constraints , 2001, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[37]  M. Hegarty,et al.  Types of visual–spatial representations and mathematical problem solving. , 1999 .

[38]  A. Comrey,et al.  Factor Analysis of the NEO-PI and the Comrey Personality Scales , 1994 .

[39]  Richard A. Harshman,et al.  Factor analysis of a questionnaire on imagery and verbal habits and skills. , 1983 .

[40]  M. Hiscock.  Imagery assessment through self-report: what do imagery questionnaires measure? , 1978, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[41]  D. Navon.  Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception , 1977, Cognitive Psychology.

[42]  W. Velicer.  Determining the number of components from the matrix of partial correlations , 1976 .

[43]  Marina Schmid,et al.  Imagery And Verbal Processes , 2016 .

[44]  J. Collomosse,et al.  The Relationship Between Systemising and Mental Rotation and the Implications for the Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism , 2010, Journal of autism and developmental disorders.

[45]  Alan Richardson,et al.  Verbalizer-visualizer: A cognitive style dimension. , 1977 .