Kognitiewe En Persoonlikheidskorrelate Van Veldafhanklikheid En Veldonafhanklikheid

• Main Author: van Rensburg, Lydia Janse
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: Afrikaans
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-1989
• Subjects: Cognitive psychology; Educational psychology; Personality psychology
• ISBN: 9798738699948

The concept of field dependence-field independence was developed by H.A. Witkin. Witkin and almost all subsequent researchers implicitly assumed that field dependence and field independence are bipolar opposites of a single underlying continuum. Resent research (O'Hara, 1985), however, suggested the possibility that field dependence and field independence are two independent constructs.The principal goal of the present study was to determine the cognitive and personality correlates of field dependence and field independence.To investigate the stated problem, a battery of 21 psychometric tests was administered to a stratified sample of 303 first year university students at the Rand Afrikaans University. The battery consisted of the newly constructed Field Dependence Inventory, Hidden Figures Test, Social Intelligence Test, Pattern Relations Test, and Jackson Personality Inventory.In order to ascertain whether the sample of students could be classified into (more than two) natural classes in terms of field dependence and field independence, a cluster analysis was performed. The Field Dependence Inventory served as a measure of field dependence, and the Hidden Figures Test, as a measure of field independence. These tests were used as input variables to the cluster analysis.Four classes were established. Differences in means between the four classes, in terms of the cognitive variables, were investigated by means of the Social Intelligence Test, and Pattern Relations Test. Personality differences were investigated by means of the Jackson Personality Inventory.The differences in means between the four classes, were investigated by means of a multivariate analysis of variance, one-way analyses of variance, and Scheffe's multiple comparisons. The four classes were found to differ significantly in terms of both cognitive and personality variablesAccordingly the four classes obtained in the study, will be briefly described:Class 1:Class 1 consists of persons who measure high in both field dependence and field independence.With regard to cognitive abilities, they exhibit good judgement in social situations and solve problems in an analytic manner.With regard to personality, they can be described as active, creative, warm-hearted, responsible, self-assured and sociable.Class 2:Class 2 consists of persons who measure low in field dependence and high in field independence.With regard to cognitive abilities, they solve problems in an analytic manner.With regard to personality, they can be described as easy-going, unresponsive, careless, timid, withdrawn, and persuasive.Class 3:Class 3 consists of persons who measure high in field dependence and low in field independence.With regard to cognitive abilities, they solve problems in a global manner.With regard to personality, they can be described as tense, warmhearted, self-assured, influential, and sociable.Class 4:Class 4 consists of persons who measure low in both field dependence and field independence.With regard to analytical abilities, they compare poorly with Class 1. They solve problems in a global manner.With regard to personality, they can be described as anxious, passive, sober, self-conscious, naive, and unsociable.A secondary goal of the study was to determine the construct validity of the Hidden Figures Test and Field Dependence Inventory, and to verify O'Hara's (1985) finding that field dependence and field independence are two independent constructs.