Perceptual structuring: cognitive style differences in the perception of ambiguous stimuli.

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the relationship between analysis and structuring as stylistic modes of perceptual functioning. 37 boys, ranging in age from 66 to 75 mo., were administered the Children's Embedded-figures Test (CEFT) as a traditional measure of perceptual style. The Elkind Ambiguous Pictures Test (APT) was used to assess level of structuring under an unstructured search condition, a condition which was considered more conducive to a study of individual preferences in perceptual structuring. The strong correlation between scores on the CEFT and APT was interpreted as an indication of perceptual structuring as an additional attribute of the field-independent dimension of perceptual style.