An Investigation of the Relationships among Field Dependence/Independence, Hypothesis Testing/Focusing Behavior, and Performance on a Predictive Reading Task

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among field dependence/independence, hypothesis testing/focusing behavior, and performance on a predictive reading task. A sample population of 32 third grade students and 20 sixth grade students were given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the Levine methodology for the measurement of hypothesis testing/focusing behavior, a standard cloze passage, and a measure of field dependence/independence (third grade subjects received the Children's Embedded Figures Test while sixth grade subjects received the Group Embedded Figures Test). The test scores were analyzed to determine correlation coefficients and partial correlation coefficients. A significant relationship was found between focusing behavior and field dependence/independence at both grade levels. A significant relationship was also found between field dependence/independence and predictive reading ability at the sixth grade level.