M.A. (Psychology) / 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...
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:4465 |
| Date | 25 March 2014 |
| Creators | Janse van Rensburg, Lydia |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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