7 Learning Styles Explained With What the Research Shows

Key points

The seven styles on the infographic are visual, verbal, aural, physical, logical, social and solitary.
Each style comes with a short “if you…” test to help readers decide which one fits them.
The infographic itself says the most effective study blends styles rather than sticking to one.
Research reviews have found no good evidence that teaching people in their preferred style helps them learn more [1][2].

Text version of the infographic

The infographic is titled 7 Different Types of Learning Styles, with the footer acadoceo.com. Its introduction reads: “When people identify the learning style that suits them best, they tend to stick with it. However, research has shown that the most effective study comes from blending different learning styles together.” The seven styles follow, each with an icon.

Learning style	What the infographic says
Visual	Visual learners do well when they use symbols, boxes, charts and colours in their notes. If you find that you learn better by reading and looking at pictures, diagrams and graphs etc. the chances are you’re a visual learner.
Verbal	Techniques used by verbal learners are reciting information out loud, writing your own notes and highlighting the key points. Having a passion for words, writing, tongue twisters, rhymes, may indicate that this learning style is for you.
Aural	Aural learning involves using sound and music. Auditory learners develop understanding and memory by hearing and listening. If you find it easier to understand spoken instructions rather than reading, aural learning will benefit you.
Physical	Physical learning involves using your body and sense of touch to learn. Physical learners learn by doing, touching, moving, building, and are described as “hands-on”. If you find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time, chances are you’re a physical learner.
Logical	Logical learners often learn by asking a lot of questions. Logical learners want to understand the whole picture. They are natural thinkers who learn by classifying, categorising and thinking abstractly about patterns and relationships etc.
Social	Social learners prefer to learn in groups rather than on their own and like generating ideas by brainstorming with others. If you like taking part in group sports and prefer social activities than doing things on your own, you may be a social learner.
Solitary	Solitary learners tend to be more independent and introspective, spending a lot of time on their own, enjoying their own company. If you enjoy spending time alone, keeping a journal and engaging in self-analysis to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, you may be a solitary learner.

Where the 7 learning styles come from

There are many learning styles models. A 2004 review led by Frank Coffield identified 71 of them and examined 13 of the most influential in detail [3]. The best known is Neil Fleming’s VARK model, which has four styles: visual, aural, reading and writing, and kinaesthetic. It built on an earlier three part model of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning by Walter Burke Barbe and colleagues [3]. The seven styles on this infographic keep the visual, aural and physical styles and add verbal, logical, social and solitary.

What the research says about learning styles

In 2008 a panel led by Harold Pashler reviewed the evidence for the Association for Psychological Science. It found ample evidence that children and adults will say how they prefer to receive information, but virtually no evidence that matching teaching to those preferences improves learning. Of the few studies designed to test the idea properly, several contradicted it. The panel concluded that there is no adequate evidence base for using learning styles assessments in general education, while noting that many versions of the idea have never been tested [1].

The Education Endowment Foundation, which reviews evidence for schools in England, rates learning styles as having unclear impact based on insufficient evidence. It says learners are very unlikely to have a single learning style, that restricting pupils to activities matched to a reported preference may damage their progress, and that labelling students as one kind of learner can undermine their belief that effort will pay off [2]. Wikipedia’s summary adds that teachers cannot assess their students’ learning styles accurately, and that in one study 70% of nearly 400 students did not use study habits that matched their own preferred style [3].

The infographic’s opening line agrees with part of this. Blending methods, rather than relying on one style, is closer to what the evidence supports.

Notes on this infographic

The styles are preferences. The descriptions are reasonable accounts of how people like to study. The evidence does not support the idea that each person learns best in one of them [1][2].
Seven is one model among many. Other models use three, four or different categories altogether [3].
Punctuation. “Hands-on” opens with a single quotation mark and closes with a double one on the graphic. We have corrected it in the table.

Questions about learning styles

What are the 7 different learning styles?

On this infographic they are visual, verbal, aural, physical, logical, social and solitary. Other models list different styles [3].

What are the four learning styles?

Usually this means Neil Fleming’s VARK model: visual, aural, reading and writing, and kinaesthetic [3].

How do I know my learning style?

Questionnaires such as the VARK inventory ask which way you prefer to take in information [3]. Research has found that a person’s stated preference may not match their measured strengths, and that matching teaching to a style has not been shown to improve results [1][3]. Using several methods together is the safer approach.