Concrete, Abstract, Random, Sequential? What is YOUR Learning Style?

Insight from: The Way They Learn, by Cynthia Tobias

As a college student, I often studied in the library cafeteria. I had my textbooks and papers scattered all over the table and a diet coke at hand. Today, I write most of my blogs at Starbucks, with my laptop and research materials scattered around, and my cell phone and a mocha at hand.

Why am I most productive in this type of environment, while my husband, currently a graduate student, needs the tomb-quiet library to get his work done?  Our individual learning styles dictate our preferences—the way we most comfortably take in information.

A researcher named Dr. Anthony F. Gregorc suggests there are two ways we perceive, or take in, information:

The Concrete Perceiver takes in information through his or her five senses. The information goes from the outside world to the five senses for the concrete perceiver.  He feels, tastes, touches, smells or hears stuff.  He is tuned into reality.  Her motto might be: “It is what it is.”  For my Concrete Perceiver husband, there is likely sensory overload in a public study spot that’s distracting.

The Abstract Perceiver uses intuition, intellect, and imagination to look beyond what is to the unseen. The Abstract Perceiver’s motto is: “It’s not always what it seems.”  This person is conceiving ideas and making connections between ideas and concepts. Making assumptions from information is natural for the abstract perceiver. As an Abstract Perceiver, I am able to tune in and out of the environment—I’m lost in thought.  But when I do tune in, the stimulation re-energizes me.

Incidentally, everyone possesses and uses both abstract and concrete perceptual abilities daily. My husband clearly has abstract tendencies too. The determining issue is which is most natural or comfortable for an individual. Because each person is as unique as a fingerprint, Gregorc says that we will likely exhibit a dominant style, but have a mix.

Gregorc’s research concluded there are two main methods people use to order the information they perceive concretely or abstractly:  Sequential and Random.

The Random Processor organizes information in chunks. In preparing this blog, I began by thumbing through this book, then read the chapters in this order: 1,2,11,6,5,3,4, reread chapter 6, then skimmed 7,8,9,10!  How random can you get!  I’ve noticed I clean the house in a random order too.  Gregorc says the “Random” motto is: “Just get it done.”

The motto for the Sequential Processor is “Follow the Steps.” They organize information in a linear, step-by-step manner, following a logical train of thought.  They have a plan and they follow it.  They are not very impulsive because, well, when you have a good plan, why not follow it?

Have you figured out what your learning style is?  How about your spouse or kids? Next blog I’ll go into more detail on how this information in Cynthia’s book, The Way They Learn can help us and help our kids learn. Incidentally, the book includes fun tests you can take to find out your learning style.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who enjoys visualizing you with your kids and conceiving ideas to help you because she is an Abstract Perceiver.