Relationships of Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Cognitive Styles to Creative Test Performance

Abstract

138 undergraduate males were administered individual and group measures of perceptual field-independence. Most Ss were also administered two measures of intelligence and a battery of tests of creativity. Comparisons were made of the creative test performance of 3 groups of 15 Ss each, matched for Otis IQ and drawn from field-dependent-, field-central-, and field-independent- S categories. Similar comparisons were made with independent groups drawn from the same perceptual orientation groupings. It was predicted that field-independent Ss would obtain higher scores on tests of creative ability than would field-dependents. A significant relationship was also predicted between Ss' scores on the individual and group measures of field-independence. Individuals with field-independent cognitive styles were consistently more creative on the tasks used in this study than individuals with field-dependent orientations. Significant differences between the creative test performance of these two groups were obtained in both matched and independent group comparisons. Relationships between creativity and intelligence were weak and typically nonsignificant. Factor analysis of all test scores for 114 Ss revealed six creativity factors and one factor composed of IQ and perceptual test scores. Significant relationships were found between individual and group measures of field-independence. Both measures of perceptual-field orientation were significantly correlated with factors commonly measured in intelligence tests. However, the degree of association between field-independence and IQ was influenced by the loadings of quantitative factors in the operational measures of intelligence employed. Some of the theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.