Effects of birth order and sex on field independence-dependence.

Abstract

Birth order and field-independence research has produced seemingly similar findings concerning social dependence. However, of the few empirical efforts examining such similarities, methodological differences have produced ambiguous findings. The effects of sex and three birth-order categories on Rod-and-frame scores were evaluated for 248 male and 389 female psychiatric inpatients. A 2 × 3 analysis of variance showed significant sex and birth-order effects, with males and firstborns less field-dependent than females and both later-borns and only children, respectively. The unpredicted birth-order results essentially contradicted previous findings and were discussed in terms of sample differences and the apparent need for improved social-dependency measures.