Styles of Learning and Thinking of the Job Applicants Applied For Armed Forces

The strategies of cerebral hemispheres – right and left, though different for processing information but are not mutually exclusive rather complement each other to give rise to distinct style of learning and thinking to make decisions for various important progressions of life. Every individual’s decision to make a career is distinct in their styles of learning and thinking. A career in Armed Forces is a unique and unrequited in nature. The present study investigates the different styles of learning and thinking of the male – female and recommended – not recommended job applicants applied to become an officer in Indian Armed Forces. A total sample of 374 job applicants was collected comprising of 212 male, from which 24 were recommended and 188 were not recommended & 162 female, which had 9 recommendations and 153 not being recommended. Whole brain oriented male applicants were more often recommended, while right brain oriented female applicants were more often recommended for the Armed Forces. Significant gender differences were found in verbal left hemisphere f(1)=3.87,p<.05, class preference whole hemisphere f(1)= 6.33,p<.01, learning preference left hemisphere f(1)=6.90,p<.009 , learning preference whole hemisphere f(1)=8.70,p<.003, interest whole hemisphere f(1)=8.00,p<.005, logical/fractional whole hemisphere f(1)=4.92,p<.02, divergent/convergent left hemisphere f(1)=3.99,p<.04, divergent/convergent whole hemisphere f(1)=6.24,p<.013, creative whole hemisphere f(1)=5.92,p<.015, problem solving whole hemisphere f(1)=6.10,p<.014 and imagination whole hemisphere f(1)=9.29,p<.002. Significant result differences were found in class preference left hemisphere f(1)=5.03,p<.02, class preference whole hemisphere f(1)=3.79,p<.05, learning preference right hemisphere f(1)=4.09,p<.04, interest left hemisphere f(1)=11.50,p<.001, interest whole hemisphere f(1)=4.68,p<.03, logical/fractional left hemisphere f(1)=4.05,p<.04, logical/fractional whole hemisphere f(1)=5.04,p<.02 and creative left hemisphere f(1)=4.40,p<.03. Significant interaction effect of gender and result were found in class preference whole hemisphere f(1)=5.37,p<.02, learning preference left hemisphere f(1)=7.19,p<.008, learning preference whole hemisphere f(1)=9.89,p<.002, interest right hemisphere f(1)=6.21,p<.008, interest whole hemisphere f(1)=6.39,p<.002, divergent/convergent left hemisphere f(1)=3.68,p<.05 and problem solving whole hemisphere f(1)=4.09, p<.04.