In Kolb's Learning Styles, when a person is thinking and watching, what are they doing?

David Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory model is based on two axes: the perception continuum (how we think or feel) and the processing continuum (how we do things). "Thinking" corresponds to Abstract Conceptualization (AC), and "watching" corresponds to Reflective Observation (RO). The learning style that combines these two is Assimilating. Individuals with this style are skilled at processing a wide range of information and organizing it into a clear, logical format. They are more interested in abstract ideas and concepts than in people and practical application, excelling at creating theoretical models.

(Assuming a standard option list for Kolb's styles)

A. Diverging: This style combines feeling (Concrete Experience - CE) and watching (Reflective Observation - RO), focusing on brainstorming and imaginative ability.

C. Converging: This style combines thinking (Abstract Conceptualization - AC) and doing (Active Experimentation - AE), focusing on problem-solving and practical application of ideas.

D. Accommodating: This style combines feeling (Concrete Experience - CE) and doing (Active Experimentation - AE), focusing on hands-on experience and carrying out plans.

1. Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching. (2023). Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/kolbs-experiential-learning-theory/. In the section "Learning Styles," the Assimilating style is explicitly defined by the intersection of Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking) and Reflective Observation (Watching).

2. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall. In Chapter 4, "The Structure of Learning and Knowledge," Kolb details the four learning styles. The Assimilating style is described on pages 77-78 as having strengths in inductive reasoning and creating theoretical models, corresponding to the AC-RO quadrant.

3. University of Leicester. (n.d.). David Kolb. Student Learning Development. Retrieved from https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/lili/projects/g-step/resources/david-kolb. The "Learning Styles" diagram and accompanying text confirm that Assimilating (assimilator) involves "Watching and Thinking" (Reflective Observation and Abstract Conceptualization).