Effect of field dependence-independence on overcoming uncertain visual stimuli

An empirical study investigated the role of the cognitive style of field independence in overcoming visual uncertainty. It was suggested that field independence is one of the factors to overcome visual uncertainty. A successful process of overcoming will manifest in more holistic responses, as well as in response to movement and originality. The study involved 282 students of Saint-Petersburg University, Faculties of Biology and Psychology. To reveal indicators of field dependence-field independence, test ACT-70 by K.U. Ettriha as adapted by Shkuratova was used; the Rorschach test was used to determine the parameters of overcoming of visual uncertainty. Data processing was carried out by Student method, cluster (Ward's method) and correlation (Spearman's method) analyses. Also, the parameters of the Rorschach test and psychological content of emotional comments of respondents to the process of the experiment were analyzed. The parameters of the Rorschach test in the study were: holism of the responses, large and small parts, movement, color responses original responses and productivity. Each protocol was conducted scoring Rorschach test parameters, each parameter was evaluated separately. According to the median criterion, two groups were detected in the total sample of the respondents: field dependence - 208 people (73.9 %) and field independence - 74 people (26.1 %). Cognitive style field dependence-field independence found a close relationship with the parameters of the Rorschach test. Statistical analysis showed that field independence respondents demonstrate higher results of the Rorschach test in terms of holism, productivity, original responses, and they are characterized by the description of the dynamic relationships between the characters. Difficulties of overcoming uncertainty of visual stimuli often were shown in the group of field dependence respondents. Comments by the respondents about their impressions and experiences in the implementation of the Rorschach test are consistent with the statistically derived indicators and clarify them. Field dependence young men and women in their comments pointed at the difficulties in allocating a holistic image. Also, qualitative and quantitative differences in overcoming the uncertainty of chromatic and achromatic cards in samples of young men and women depending on the cognitive style were revealed. Field dependence respondents, as opposed to field independence ones, tended to use the additional resource of color to highlight semantic parts of the picture. This study demonstrates the specificity of the Rorschach test perception by respondents according to their cognitive style (field dependence-field independence).

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