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SoftServe 2011
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Learning Style Questionnaire
(Peter Honey and Alan Mumford/Takhir Bazarov)
Honey and Mumford are best known for their learning style questionnaire. This self-
administered questionnaire determines your preferred learning style.
Knowing your learning style can accelerate your learning as you undertake activities
that best fit your preferred style.
Knowing your learning style can also help avoid repeating mistakes by undertaking
activities that strengthen other styles For example, if you tend to “jump in at the deep
end”, consider spending time reflecting on experiences before taking action.
1. I have a clear vision about what is right and what is not right, what is good and what is
bad.
2. I often start acting without imagining the prospective consequences.
3. I have a predisposition to solve problems by stages, step by step.
4. I think that formal procedures and rules limit peoples’ abilities.
5. I have a reputation of person who says the thoughts just straightly.
6. I often note that actions, which are based on intuition, have the same common sense as
the actions, which are based on deep analysis and deliberation.
7. I like such a job when I have enough time for accurate preparation and performing the
tasks.
8. I ask people questions regularly to clarify the initial assumptions, which do they use to
make the decision.
9. The most important thing is how the solution does work practically.
10. I look for opportunities to gain the new experience actively.
11. When I hear about any idea, I start to work on its practical implementation immediately.
12. I am attentive to self-discipline, for example, to regular exercises and following the dietary
regimen, following the rules defined.
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13. I am proud of work done.
14. It is easier for me to work with logical, analytical people, neither with spontaneous and
irrational.
15. I take care to interpret the information I’ve got right way and avoid making hasty
conclusions.
16. I like to make decisions based on careful weighing of alternatives.
17. New, unusual ideas attract me more than practical solutions.
18. I don’t like disorganization and prefer to keep everything in a certain order.
19. I accept the certain procedures and follow them till I suppose them to be effective and help
to make the work done.
20. I like to connect my actions with general principles.
21. I like to talk on the merits immediately during the discussions.
22. I prefer to keep some distance on work and maintain rather formal relationships with
people.
23. I deal with new and unusual tasks successfully.
24. I like spontaneous people, who are able to rejoice and have fun.
25. Before making the conclusion, I scrutinize all the trifles and details.
26. It is hard for me to react on situation quickly and generate the ideas immediately.
27. I believe that it is possible to get to the goal at once.
28. I am careful and don’t do too fast conclusions.
29. I prefer to deal with as much sources of information as possible, the more data to think
over I’ve got, the better.
30. Frivolous people, who don’t take the things seriously, usually make me annoyed.
31. I listen to the points of view of others before suggest my own.
32. I don’t hide my feelings usually.
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33. I like to watch the “maneuvers” of other participants during the discussions.
34. I prefer to react on everything flexible as problems appear but not to plan everything
beforehand.
35. Technical things usually attract me, such as roadmaps, charts etc.
36. I worry if I should harry up to make the work in tight schedule.
37. I usually evaluate peoples’ ideas from standpoint of their practicality.
38. It is hard for me to work with quite and pensive people.
39. People that always hurry annoy me often.
40. It is much harder to enjoy the current moment than think about past or future.
41. I think that decisions based on scrupulous analysis of information are better than decisions
made by intuitively.
42. I love to be a perfectionist.
43. I suggest a lot of spontaneous ideas usually during the discussions.
44. I suggest practical and realistic ideas during the discussions.
45. One has to break the rules more than often.
46. I prefer to look on the situation from the outside and consider all the perspectives.
47. I often see the inconsequence and weaknesses within the others’ arguments.
48. In general, I speak more than listen.
49. I often see the better, more practical ways to resolve the tasks.
50. I think that written-down reports should be short and essential.
51. I believe that the future is for the rational and logical thinking.
52. I engage the discussion about concrete things more often, than about common themes.
53. I like people, who consider the problems realistically, but not theoretically.
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54. I can’t stand abstract talks and digressions during the discussions.
55. If I should write down the report I make a lot of rough copies before create the final
version.
56. I try to test everything on practice to see how it works.
57. I try to find out the answers using the logical approach.
58. I love to speak a lot.
59. I feel myself as a realist, who leads people to the goal and avoid empty conversations
during the discussions.
60. I like to weigh a lot of alternatives before making the decision.
61. I often find myself the most objective during the discussions and have no prejudices.
62. I often stay in shadow and don’t overtake the role of visible leader during the discussions,
and don’t speak more than others.
63. I like to find connection between current actions and long-term goals and general picture.
64. When something doesn’t go well, I’m ready to ignore it and try to apply something else.
65. I tend to discard crude spontaneous ideas as unpractical.
66. Before acting, it is better to think over everything carefully.
67. In general I listen more than speak.
68. I am often strict with those people who go to learning reasoning hardly.
69. I often I think that the goal is worth the means.
70. It is not hard for me to insult people if it helps to perform the tasks.
71. I think that formal defining of the goals and planning “strangles” people.
72. Usually I am a ringleader during parties.
73. I do everything, which is appropriate for doing the work.
74. While making the work methodically and in details I start being bored soon.
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75. In is necessary for me to understand the main predispositions, theories and principles,
which explain the events and processes.
76. It is always interesting for me to find out what people think of.
77. I like meetings when they are organized well and follow the agenda.
78. I try to keep away from double-senses, uncertain themes.
79. I like dramatical effect and stimulation of crisis situation.
80. People think that I don’t care about their feelings.
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Summary
Please mark the questions you answered “Yes” for in the Table below:
2 7 1 5
4 13 3 9
6 15 8 11
10 16 12 19
17 25 14 21
23 28 18 27
24 29 20 35
32 31 22 37
34 33 26 44
38 36 30 49
40 39 42 50
43 41 47 53
45 46 51 54
48 52 57 56
58 55 61 59
64 60 63 65
71 62 68 69
72 66 75 70
74 67 77 73
79 76 78 80
Style Activist
Reflector
Theorist
Pragmatist
In Total:
DIAGNOSIS (Testing Results)
In Total:
SELF- DIAGNOSIS
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General Characteristics of Types
Activists
Activists go into deepness of new experiment fully and without any of prejudices. They enjoy of
what they are doing at this particular moment and are involved into this current activity totally.
They have no biases and skepticism, and that makes them very high-receptive for all new things.
Activist’s philosophy: one should try everything in his/her life. They are intended to act firstly, and
then to think about consequences. Their days are full of activity. They are taking over solving of
problem, succumbing to the sudden ideas. As soon as excitation with the activity subsided, they
are immediately engaged into search of new one. Activists take over new activity with
enthusiasm, and tasks, which require long-term performing the same activity, make them bored
very soon. They are sociable, look for other people company all the time. They are always center
of attention during the parties.
They are the most effective if:
There is a space for new activities, issues, possibilities, which can provide something new;
You can be absorbed by activity of “here and now” type, e.g. in business games, team
exercises, case studies;
There are dramatical, crisis situations and you can shoot from the hip, try different types of
activities;
You have a chance to be in the center of attention, e.g. drive discussions, meetings,
presentations;
You can generate ideas without limitation with any frames or possibilities of their
implementation;
You are thrown into the water without ability to swim, in other words when you face a
challenge with inappropriate resources and adverse conditions;
You are involved into work with other participants, and you need to push forward your
ideas, solve problems as a team-member;
You have a possibility to act.
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Reflectors
Reflectors like to “step aside” from activities and look into the situation from different points of
view. They collect data both from the first hand and indirectly, they prefer to ponder and weigh
everything before come to any decision. Collecting and analyzing the information about
experience and events in-depth – that is what are taken into account. That’s why they intent to
postpone the final decision as long as possible. Their philosophy is carefulness and foresight. This
is contemplating people, who consider all possible points of view and weigh all possible
consequences before making the first step. They prefer to sit back during the meeting, like to
watch how do others act, listen to others and try to catch the direction of discussion before speak
out their comment. They like to stay in shadow and create calm, restrained, tolerant atmosphere.
Their action is only the part of big picture, which includes the experience of present, past and
results of own and other people observations.
They are the most effective if:
You have a possibility to think, observe, analyze events;
You have a possibility to stay aside of events, for example, watch the team working, watch
the video recorded, watch the course of meeting;
You have a possibility to think firstly before acting, assimilate before commenting, have
enough time for preparation, read the information needed;
You have a possibility to look through what has happened, what you have learned;
You are asked to make elaborated analysis or report;
They help you to exchange opinions with other people in safe situation, in other words
within the frames of previously defined rules;
You can make a decision without any pressure and time limits.
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Theorists
Theorists collect and gather their observations into complex theories, which sound very logically.
They consider the problems within the vertical incision, within their logical genesis, connect
isolated facts and make common conclusions. Theorists are intent to perfectionism. They aspire to
make an order with facts and collect them into common scheme, where each fact has its own
place. They like to analyze and synthesize, are addicted to different assumptions, conceptions,
theories, models and systems. Their philosophy praises the rational logic: “if it is logical, it means
to be good”. Among questions they ask the most often are such as: does it make sense? How
does it agree with that? What are the initial assumptions? They have consistent, logical approach
to the problem. This is their mental setting and they reject everything that does not match this.
They are the most effective if:
That, what is suggested, is the part of system, model, conception, theory;
You have a possibility and time to investigate systematically and define the connection
between ideas, events and situations;
You have a possibility to put under a question and try for reliability the methodology,
assumption and logic of exact things, e.g. via participation in sessions, which are built on
questions and answers principle, or to read materials, trying to find inconsistencies there;
Meetings are well-structured: clear goals are defined, you can listen and read about the
ideas and conceptions, which are rational and logical and well-reasoned, presented,
convincing and compelling;
You can analyze and then generalize the reasons of success and failures;
You have been offered with interesting conceptions, ideas, even if they are not quite
related to the topic;
You are asked to understand and take part in the analysis of complicated situations.
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Pragmatists
Pragmatists need to try the ideas, theories and methods in practice. They analyze the new idea
and use the first chance to try it. This is a type of people who come back from the management
course crowded with ready to be used ideas. They like success in their business and act quickly
and confidently
They are the most effective if:
There is a clear connection between the area of subject and the problem or possibilities on
working place;
Techniques, which are being showed to you, can be used with getting the exact benefit,
e.g. how to save time, how to make a good impression on people, how to communicate
with difficult people;
You have a possibility to try using of these techniques and get the feedback from the
trustworthy expert, in other words – person, who gained the recognition in usage of this
technique;
The model, which is being showed to you, can be emulated: e.g. respected boss,
demonstration of behavior of experienced sales manager etc;
The thing, which is being offered to you, can be applied on your working place;
You are being provided with possibility to apply that, what you have learned, immediately;
Not abstract but taken from life situations, role games etc are being used during the
studying;
You can concentrate your efforts on the practical tasks: write down the action plan,
suggest the ready solutions, make advises.
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Typology Illustrations
Activists
“Find out the specialists’-experts’ opinion and act in the opposite”, - used to say Disney. No one
from his plans met the professionals’ praise. All the ideas looked like nonsense. To show the
drawn characters together with real actors? Delirium! And what about one and half an hour
cartoon?! How will be able to stand it? But Disney makes the things his own way. His first feature-
length cartoon “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” became the most profit-making film ever.
Walt always stakes all he had. He mortgaged the house and money for the sake of Disneyland. He
suffered 8 nervous breakdowns and 19 life crises. After each “FD” (frustration and
discouragement) sickness he returns to the business with even more impressive plans. Without
the depression, he used to say, there would be no euphoria.
Never hesitate to ask and you will be surprised with all the help you will receive. And each request
responded strengthens the impact on people. Disney asked for money many times and always
found creditors. When animator planned amusement park for all the family his companions denied
their support. And Disney turned to the “main enemy” which was the TV for filmmakers then.
While giving back his “TV-credit” Walt went on air with the weekly program and showing the
masterpieces of his film-library. This made the revolution on TV and transformed it from mass
media to family entertainment. Thus at his 53 Disney became a millionaire. And the first
Disneyland made billionaires from his descendants. Even so creation but not wealth was above all
for Disney.
Reflector
Korolev was a man who had a fancy. Even before the first flight to space the group of young
scientists at their free from work time outlined the project of “Mars expedition”. All of them and
Korolev personally, know better than that it was more game than a science, that “Mars
expedition” is the thing not of that current decade at all, but nevertheless he became not half
addicted to this idea, very happy with this game, this chance to puzzle over this distant and
fascinating problems.
All his life was within his work. Korolev always used to see very far, and not only the tomorrow of
the space technology, but its image after many and many years. Meetings on very important
perspective issues, which caused sharp clash of his companions’ opinions, he sometimes drove his
own special way. He summarized in details the ideas, which impressed him the most, within his
book. Korolev fixed the most valuable for him shades of opinions the most carefully. In the end of
meeting everybody were waiting for his decision and in spite of it they heard: “Thank you,
colleagues; I’ve heard many of interesting things. I should think…” – and the meeting were over.
The decision had appeared in several weeks and not only his colleagues’ opinion but the wider
situation has been considered.
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Theorist
Kutuzov, having extensive education for his period of time, possessed a remarkably fine mind. His
behavior, when he wanted, could be charming. He kept the external calm even in the most critical
minutes. He thought over each action maturely and each his step was a subject of strict plan. He
acted more with trick and maneuver, not engaging into the fight vainly, when it was possible to
destroy the enemy without giving the soldier’s blood. “Napoleon can defeat me”, Kutuzov used to
say, “but never cheat”.
During the famous council at Fili, while the destiny of Russia was being defined, Kutuzov said his
genial words, which became axiomatic: “The question about for what I asked these gentlemen to
gather is the military question. The question is following: The salvation of Russia is in army. Is it
better to take the risk to lose the army and Moscow and accept the battle, or to give Moscow
without the battle?.. This is the question regarding which I want to know your thoughts”.
It was hard for Kutuzov, impossible just humanly to give the command about retreat from
Moscow. But the general’s common sense and courage prevailed over the other feelings. “With
power, which is given to me by my monarch and my fatherland, I command to retreat” – he
finished his speech.
Pragmatist
Cowperwood was primarily the cerebral egoist from his birth. Even so benevolent and liberal
attitudes toward people had been always blended with this. He was the financier in all his nature.
Instead of being thrilled of the creatures of nature, of their beauty and complicity, Cowperwood
possessed the happy ability to enjoy the charms of being mentally and emotionally without
damage of his incessant financial calculations.
When somebody just expressed the intention to buy or sell the papers at the price, which
promised the profit, he had already engaged into the continuous cycle of hands, shoulders and
heads. At the beginning the external side of all of this entertained the young Cowperwood very
much. He loved the crowd and excite, but soon the pictorial and dramatic scenes, in which he
used to take part, had dimmed for him. And he started to understand the internal sense of all
what was going on. Buying and selling the stocks were the exquisite workmanship, almost the
psychic emotion. Suspicion, sense of purpose, feel – these things were necessary to success in
this art.
