Field Dependency and Field Independence: what are they?

The cognitive styles They constitute mental patterns that guide our perception, and that allow us to manipulate and organize information in a specific way.

There are many types, but one especially investigated is that of Field Dependency and Field Independence of Hermann Witkin.

In this article we will know what is understood by cognitive style; We will see that it goes beyond cognition, and we will know the fundamental differences between field dependents and independents. In addition, we will know how this cognitive style can be evaluated.

What are cognitive styles?

Field Dependency and Field Independence are two cognitive styles. Generally, people have one of these two styles, although it may be that sometimes we use one more than the other but we have both.

But what are cognitive styles? These are concrete and differentiated ways of perceiving external information. In addition, they include not only its perception, but its management, its organization, its processing and the way of remembering said information.

In other words, cognitive styles are mental patterns responsible for perceiving and organizing the information that reaches us through the senses (sensory systems). It includes, on the other hand, the way in which we solve problems.

Field Dependency and Field Independence

Thus, there are different cognitive styles, always bipolar concepts: verbalizing style vs. visualizer style, holistic style vs. analytical, leveling style vs. sharpener, tec. Specifically, the Field Dependency and Field Independence cognitive style was proposed by Witkin.

This style refers, broadly speaking, to how we process information: if globally and holistic (field dependence) or in an analytical, detailed and concrete way (independence from field).

Thus, field dependents perceive stimuli in their entirety, as unitary blocks of reality; On the other hand, field independents tend to isolate the different parts that make up the objects or stimuli. They isolate them and analyze them in detail, leaving aside the context in which such a stimulus is immersed.

That is to say, When we look at a painting, for example, what do we look at? In their separate details? Or in the entire painting, as a whole? If we look at the details, leaving the rest of the image “on the side”, we have an independent field style; On the other hand, if we look at the painting as a whole, ignoring the specific parts, we have a dependent field style.

What does this style allude to?

In other words, Field Dependency and Field Independence also have to do with how we manage and/or organize information from the medium., and what we do with each of the parts of the totality of a stimulus that we receive through one of our senses (in this case, sight).

Aspects in which they differ

But Field Dependence and Field Independence not only refer to how we perceive stimuli and how we organize our perception.

It also refers to characteristics of our personality and other aspects such as feelings or emotions. We are going to see the differences between these two cognitive styles, analyzing some of the parameters or aspects that are part of their characteristics and that Jonassen and Grabowsky (1993) propose.

1. Relationships

So while people with a field-dependent style tend to be more relationship-oriented people interpersonal relationships and social relationships in general, field independents focus more on themselves, on their relationship intrapersonal.

That is, field dependents need more social contact, and field independents tend to be more solitary and reserved. On the other hand, while the former seek and need that affiliation, those personal relationships, the latter do not seek them, and are more distant and individualistic.

2. social information

On the other hand, and in line with the previous point, dependents tend to show more attention to social information and people; On the other hand, independents go unnoticed by this type of information. They focus, then, on other aspects of a non-social nature.

3. Information management

Another difference in relation to Field Dependency and Field Independence is that the dependent style is characterized by people who accept ideas as they are presented, that is, they do not try to analyze them as independents would; Thus, the latter not only "receive" the information (passively), but also manipulate and analyze it in detail.

4. stress management

Field dependents are more easily stressed by external stimuli, while independents are not; it doesn't affect them that much, in fact they ignore it.

5. Conflict management

The dependents are more practical, take action more quickly, and tend to try to solve and resolve the conflicts that arise. However, the independents are more philosophical, they think more before acting, they are more cognitive and for this reason they tend to think about problems more than to act on them.

In addition, the dependents are guided more by the facts, by the tangible, and the dependents are guided more by the ideas and concepts.

6. Influence of stimuli

Continuing with the aspects that differentiate the styles of Field Dependency and Independence of Field, we found that the former are more influenced by the structure and format of the stimuli. This has to do with his more global analysis of the information. On the other hand, the independents in the field do not allow themselves to be influenced so much by these elements.

On the other hand, the dependents pay more attention to what stands out in the environment, and the independents are more in charge of developing internal hypotheses and focusing more on what they themselves generate.

How is it evaluated?

The test of excellence to evaluate field dependence and field independence is the Masked Figures Test. (or hidden), from Witkin, Oltman, Raskin and Karp (1971). This evaluation test consists of presenting two figures to the subject being examined: a simple figure and a complex one. He is asked to find the simple figure in the complex figure.

How will the subjects act, according to their cognitive style? Field-dependent subjects will tend to present difficulties in finding the simple figure in the complex one, since it is more difficult for them to isolate the elements that make up the figures, and they focus more on the totality of the elements. stimuli. That is, it is more difficult for them to separate the elements from their context.

On the other hand, field independents have an easier time doing it, which is why it will be easier for them identify the simple figure within the complex one, presenting better results than field dependents in this sense.

conclusions

Field Dependence and Field Independence is a cognitive style that encompasses not only cognitive processes, but also emotional and aspects of personality. These differences have been found after a lot of research carried out in this regard, since the styles cognitions make up a particularly useful field of knowledge in learning psychology, in basic psychology and in cognitive psychology.

As we have seen, field independents are people who are freer from the context, more capable of freeing themselves from it and observing the details of the reality that is presented to them. The dependents let themselves be guided more by the context, and in fact many times they need it to solve problems.

On the other hand, although people tend to have one of these two predominant styles, it is true that in Sometimes we can use the other a bit, depending on the task, the objective and the context of the same.

Bibliographic references:

• Garcia Ramos, J.M. (1989). Cognitive styles and their measurement: studies on the field dependence-independence dimension. Madrid: Ministry of Education and Science.

• Jonassen, D.H. and Grabowsky, B.L. (1993). Handbook of Individual Differences, Learning and Instruction. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Ramos, J.M. (2006). Evaluation of the cognitive style «Field dependence/independence» in the context of anxiety problems. Clinic and Health, 17(1).