Field-Dependence and Field- Independence

Field-Dependence and Field-
Independence
Another area where individuals show differences
in their abilities to discriminate events or visual,
auditory, or tactile cues from their surrounding
environments is known as field-dependence/fieldindependence.
Herman Witkin conducted much of
the original research in this area in the 1950s. A fielddependent
person has difficulty finding a geometric
shape that is embedded or ‘‘hidden’’ in a background
with similar (but not identical) lines and shapes. The
conflicting patterns distract the person from identifying
the given figure. A person who is fieldindependent
can readily identify the geometric
shape, regardless of the background in which it is set.
This manner of interpretation, however, is not limited
to visual cues. Many researchers are studying auditory
and other sensory perception abilities that may
vary from person to person.
There is also a strong connection between this
cognitive style and social interactions. People who are
field-dependent are frequently described as being
very interpersonal and having a well-developed ability
to read social cues and to openly convey their own
feelings. Others describe them as being very warm,
friendly, and personable. Interestingly, Witkin and
Donald Goodenough, in their 1981 book Cognitive
Styles, explained that this may be due to a lack of separation
between the self and the environment (or
‘‘field’’) on some level. Field-dependent people notice
a lack of structure in the environment (if it exists) and
are more affected by it than other people.
By contrast, individuals who are field-independent
use an ‘‘internal’’ frame of reference and can
easily impose their own sense of order in a situation
that is lacking structure. They are also observed to
function autonomously in social settings. They are
sometimes described as impersonal and taskoriented.
These people, however, do have the ability
to discern their own identity of self from the field. In
addition, a strong correlation has been discovered between
gender and field orientation. Women are more
likely to be field-dependent, whereas men are frequently
field-independent. Career tasks and job descriptions
are also closely aligned with fielddependence/
field-independence.
Specifically of concern to educators is the discovery
that field-dependent children do not do as well in
large group settings or class activities where the lessons
are not highly structured. There are also indications
that these same individuals do not perform as
well on open-ended questions as compared to students
who are field-independent.