Thinking Styles Assessment

How Your Brain Makes You Think

Why It Matters To Understand This

Dr Katherine Benziger takes a completely different approach to thinking styles assessment.

This is in complete contrast to the theoretical and philosophical basis of most psycho-metric tests, that focus on the physiological and neurological aspects of how our brains actually function.

As this is a physiological and neurological assessment it is arguably a more objective method of assessment than psychometric tests.

Katherine Benziger's assessment tools are based on the measurement of brain function and energy consumption in the brain.

Her model recognises that the brain has four specialised areas responsible for different brain functions - and significantly we each have natural strengths in only one of these specific areas.

Thinking Styles Based On Your Brain Functions

• Mode 1 located in the basal left - Brain functions: order and habit; ordered procedures; sequential routines
  Response to stimulus: remembers definitions; remembers what is - as described
• Mode 2 located in the basal right - Brain functions: spiritual experience; rhythm and feeling; harmony
  Response to stimulus: remembers definitions; picks up emotional tone and the presence or absence of harmony; how things are and how we feel about it
• Mode 3 located in the frontal right - Brain functions: internal imaging; metaphor and imagination; expressiveness
  Response to stimulus: sees the essence of things, in pictures and metaphors
• Mode 4 located in the frontal left - Brain functions: structural analysis; prioritising and logic; mathematics
  Response to stimulus: converts into logical results or effects; leads to, or produces results

The Importance Of Using Your Natural Preferred Thinking Styles

We quite naturally prefer to use the thinking style associated with our natural strength - this is referred to as the "preferred thinking and behavioural mode".

This is important and has a very practical application for you:

1. Adapting your natural thinking style to accommodate others affects your performance

Katherine Benziger has identified that when people adapt their natural thinking and working styles to fit expectations of others, [normally created by work and career, tension and stress] people tend to "falsify type" as they think and behave in ways that are unnatural to them, and predictably this creates problems in how they function and perform, specifically in a work environment.

2. The cost of falsifying your thinking style to accommodate others can lead to "Prolonged Adaption Stress Syndrome"

Dr Arlene Taylor, a long time collaborator with Benziger, has developed Benziger's observations about the "cost of falsifying type", and as published in 1999 in their joint paper 'The Physiological Foundations of Falsification of Type and PASS' [published as a book] has identified a range of symptoms collectively known as "Prolonged Adaption Stress Syndrome" (PASS) that arise as a result of falsification of type.

1. Fatigue
2. Hyper-vigilance
3. Immune system alterations
4. Memory impairment
5. Altered brain chemistry
6. Diminished frontal lobe functions
7. Discouragement and or depression
8. Self-esteem problems

Thinking Styles - Resources

Further reading: Books By Katherine Benziger

Presentation Slideshow: Benziger Thinking Styles Assessment

Note - there are c80 slides in this presentation but it contains some very useful information.

Do the test: My Benziger

Note:

1. This is not a free test. It is currently on offer at a reduced price of $39.99
2. I have no commercial relationship with this company and do not receive any commission or financial payment if you do the test.
3. Here is a sample executive summary of a test result
4. Here is a sample full test report
   

Return to: Managing Personal Change

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