The relationship between field-dependency-independency and set: A Western and Soviet view

Students were classed as field dependent or field independent using Witkin’s Rod and Frame and the Embedded Figures Test. In addition, each of the 269 grade 8 participants performed Uznadze’s set tasks. The number of trials required for excitation and extinction in the haptic and visual modality were noted. The field dependent-independent groups, based on each test, were compared with their ability to excite and extinguish a set. A chi-square was used to test statistical significance. It was found that the field dependent and field independent groups differed in their ability to extinguish a set but not to excite a set. The differences were interpreted as supporting Witkin’s hypothesis involving Einstellung.