Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

 
Module 19 
Cognitive Approaches to Learning 
203 
Relational Style 
Analytical Style
1. Perceive information as part of total 
picture
2. Exhibit improvisational and intuitive 
thinking
3. More easily learn materials that have
a human, social content and are 
characterized by experimental/cultural 
relevance
4. Have a good memory for verbally 
presented ideas and information, 
especially if relevant
5. Are more task-oriented concerning 
nonacademic areas
6. Are influenced by authority figures’ 
expression of confidence or doubt in 
students’ ability
7. Prefer to withdraw from unstimulating 
task performance
8. Style conflicts with the traditional school 
environment
1. Able to dis-embed information from 
total picture (focus on detail)
2. Exhibit sequential and structured thinking
3. More easily learn materials that are 
inanimate and impersonal
4. Have a good memory for abstract ideas 
and irrelevant information
5. Are more task-oriented concerning 
academics
6. Are not greatly affected by the opinions 
of others
7. Show ability to persist at unstimulating 
tasks
8. Style matches most school environments
FIGURE 3 
A comparison of analytical versus relational approaches to learning off ers one 
example of how learning styles diff er along several dimensions.
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R E C A P / E V A L U A T E / R E T H I N K
K E Y T E R M S 
R E C A P 
What is the role of cognition and thought in learning?
• Cognitive approaches to learning consider learning in 
terms of thought processes, or cognition. Phenomena 
such as latent learning—in which a new behavior is 
learned but not performed until some incentive is 
provided for its performance—and the apparent 
development of cognitive maps support cognitive 
approaches. (p. 198)
• Learning also occurs from observing the behavior of 
others. The major factor that determines whether an 
observed behavior will actually be performed is the 
nature of the reinforcement or punishment a model 
receives. (p. 200)
• Observation of violence is linked to a greater likelihood 
of subsequently acting aggressively. (p. 201)
• Learning styles are characteristic ways of approaching 
learning, based on a person’s cultural background and 
unique pattern of abilities. Whether an individual has an 
analytical or a relational style of learning, for example, 
may refl ect family background or culture. (p. 202)