The textbook, prepared on the basis of many years of reading a special course, sets out one of the most important sections of modern psychology - the psychology of cognitive (cognitive) styles that characterize individual differences between people in the ways of knowing the world around them. The history of studying cognitive styles and the current state of the style approach are described. A new interpretation of cognitive styles as metacognitive abilities is proposed, their role in the regulation of intellectual behavior, including in the conditions of educational activities of schoolchildren, is determined.