The Role of Individual Differences in Field Dependence as a Factor in Learning and Memory1

The present research was designed to study the interrelationships of intelligence, field independence, analytic cognitive style, and spatial and perceptual abilities among 201 boys, age 10-11 years. The contribution of cognitive style to the prediction of differences in attainment in English and mathematics was also investigated. Substantial overlap was confirmed between field independence and intelligence, but there were significant residual correlations (p < .01) between field independence and mathematics and haptic perception after intelligence was held constant. Analysis of covariance confirmed the significance of differences between field-independent, intermediate, and field-dependent boys in mathematics and haptic perception (p < .05). Principal components analysis indicated the separability of cognitive style from factors of general ability, spatial ability, and perceptual speed.

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Field independence and the structuring of knowledge in a social studies minicourse.

Stasz

1976

Journal of Educational Psychology

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This study examined the effect of instruction on the correspondence between a model of the structure of concepts in a social studies unit (content structure) and a representation of psychological structure of subjects differing in field independence (FI) and dependence (FD). Ninety-six high school students and 24 social studies teachers comprised a2x2x2x2 design (Teachers x Students x Sex x Cognitive Style). Psychological structure was examined with multidimensional scaling of similarity judgments. Psychological structure at posttest more closely resembled content structure than at pretest. Psychological structure of FI as compared to FD subjects resembled content structure more closely. The FD subjects' psychological structure was less differentiated. All differences between cognitive styles were consistent for both teachers and students. Bruner (1966) argued that a theory of instruction should be prescriptive. Its usefulness depends on establishing rules concerning how knowledge can be effectively communicated and learned. One feature of such a theory deals with how a body of knowledge should be structured to provide optimal learning for students. Cognitive theorists have approached this problem by postulating a process of learning and remembering and suggesting that instructional material be organized to enhance this internal process (e.g., Ausubel, 1963;Ausubel & Fitzgerald, 1961;Bruner, 1966;Gagne, 1965). This approach rests on the assumption that there is some correspondence between the structure of the instructional material (content structure) and what is represented as structure in the student's memory (psychological struc-This study is a portion of the first author's master's thesis, completed as partial fulfillment for a degree from Rutgers -The State University. She wishes to acknowledge Herman A. Witkin and Robert T. Patrick for their assistance in this study.Requests for reprints should be sent to Richard J.

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The Role of Individual Differences in Field Dependence as a Factor in Learning and Memory1

Cited by 4 publications

References 61 publications

Field dependence–independence differently affects retrospective time estimation and flicker-induced time dilation

Field dependence–independence differently affects retrospective time estimation and flicker-induced time dilation

Cognitive styles, spatial ability, and school achievement.

Field independence and the structuring of knowledge in a social studies minicourse.

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