A Culturally Sensitive Analysis of Black Learning Style

Abstract

Based on analysis and research, an affect-symbolic imagery synthesis construct has been proposed as a broad explanatory construct for understanding knowledge acquisition in African Americans. This construct defines an affective (interpersonal/social) factor, a stimulus-response diversity/change factor, and a diunital/intuitive analysis and synthesisfactor as constituting a culturally unique orientation to learning and problem solving in African Americans. The affective factor defines an affinity in African Americans for "psychological closeness" to the phenomena one seeks to understand. This factor prioritizes personal-social (nonrational) attributes in knowledge acquisition. The stimulus diversity/change factor suggests an orientation toward dynamic, flexible, and varied experiential modes as opposed to repetitive, static, and regimented experiential modes. This factor projects the importance of stimulus variety and change in knowledge acquisition. The diunital/intuitive analysis and synthesis factor also is a holistic Black cultural construct of knowledge acquisition. It depicts problem solving as an integrative hemispheric endeavor rather than a linear, analyticalprocess. This construct depicts learning and problem solving as a holistic process, encompassing both affective and conceptual-expressive factors in complementary organization.