The Interrelationships of Four Measures Hypothesized to Represent the Field Dependence-Field Independence Construct

Abstract

For a total sample of 160 third-grade pupils (ranging in age from 7 years 8 months to 9 years 3 months) who resided primarily in neighborhoods within or adjacent to 24 inner city elementary schools as well as for subsamples equally differentiated by ethnicity (40 Anglos, 40 Asians, 40 blacks, and 40 Hispanics), by sex (80 boys and 80 girls), and by level of intelligence (80 categorized as being gifted with IQ scores between 130 and 150 and 80 others classified as superior but nongifted with IQ scores falling between 110 and 129), intercorrelations among four measures hypothesized to represent a common field dependence-field independence construct were found. In addition, principal factors analyses were carried out for nine correlation matrices involving six test variables derived from the four measures. The statistical results suggested the presence of a general trait that could be interpreted alternatively as a factor reflecting a common format or response set associated with answering test items, a flexibility aptitude, or very possibly a valid representation of the field dependence-field independence construct itself.

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