The flexibility of the intermediate vs. wholistic/analytic styles–an eye tracking study

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational system is increasingly incorporating twenty-first-century skills, such as online learning, that require learners to demonstrate cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to quickly reconfigure our minds to meet the task demands. This study investigates the degree of cognitive flexibility of the wholistic-intermediate-analytic dimensions, by classifying patterns of Eye Movements (EM) and behavioural data. Using the E-CSA-W/A test, 113 participants were classified based on their tendency towards a particular style (wholistic/intermediate/analytic). Results indicate that wholistics and intermediates demonstrated greater cognitive flexibility in adapting to the task requirements than the analytics. Analytics were slower at completing the test and made more transitions between Areas of Interest than the other groups. Finally, while the behavioural data demonstrate quantitative differences between the groups, EM provides qualitative information regarding the cognitive process that leads to the response. Theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions are discussed.