EEG differences and cognitive style

Individuals differences in information processing related to cognitive styl e were investigated by EEG recording during cognitive tasks. Fifteen adults received the Cognitive Styles Analysis which assessed their positions on t wo dimensions: the wholist-analytic and the verbal-imagery. The EEG from mi dline, paramedial and lateral electrode clusters was recorded, while subjec ts viewed words presented at different rates. A button was pressed when a w ord was in a target conceptual category. Off-line analysis produced spectra l powers for delta, theta, alpha, beta 1, beta 2 and gamma bands. For the m idline, the wholists had higher output than analytics in theta and alpha, b ut lower in gamma. In the paramedial cluster, verbalisers had greater right power than imagers for all bands except alpha. Further, the overall power was greater on the right for imagers than verbalisers frontally, and the co nverse occipitally. In the lateral grouping, the wholist-verbalisers had gr eater overall power left antero-temporally than other sub-groups. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.