Field dependence and short-term memory

This study examined the relationship between field dependence and short-term memory. It was predicted that relatively field-independent individuals would perform better on short-term memory tests in which a large amount of interference is assumed to be present than would individuals who are more field-dependent. Subjects' appraisals of their own attentional facility, as well as their thoughts and feelings about the experimental tasks, were also elicited, and were looked at in terms of their relationship to field dependence and short-term memory.     

Field dependence and distraction revisited.

An attempt is made to replicate a former study of the relationship of field dependence as measured by rod-and-frame errors to distraction in an RT paradigm. For two groups of Ss (n = 14) who differed specifically in their dependence upon the tilted frame and were classified as frame-dependent and frame-independent, no relationship of frame (or field) dependence to susceptibility to distraction was found.     

Field dependence and physical ability.

Field-dependence scores of professional dancers, highly skilled performers in tennis, soccer, cricket and track and field athletics, medium-ability level players in the same four sports and a group of non-game players were measured using a rod and frame test. Results showed that highly skilled tennis players were significantly more field-dependent than top-class track and field athletes and medium-ability level tennis players.     

Post-traumatic stress and self-disclosure

Post-traumatic stress (PTS) is a significant clinical problem in the general population. However, only a portion of those exposed to trauma develop PTS. Patterns of emotional self-disclosure have the potential to explain some of the individual differences in the development and continuation of symptoms. In this study, the authors investigated the links between emotional self-disclosure, as measured by the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS; W. E. Snell, R. S. Miller, & S. S. Belk, 1988). and a post-trauma psychological state, as measured by the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI; J. Briere, 1995). Their results showed that, in general, men engaged in less emotional self-disclosure than did women, and as TSI scores increased, the men were significantly less willing to disclose emotions of happiness. For women, as TSI scores increased they were significantly more willing to engage in talk about emotions related to anxiety but less willing to talk about emotions related to fear. The authors considered these data within current understandings of the role of emotional self-disclosure in the processing of traumatic experiences.     

Gender and self-disclosure revisited: personal and contextual variations in self-disclosure to same-sex acquaintances.

Male and female American students who differed in masculinity and in femininity self-disclosed to a same-sex stranger in contexts that made either social/expressive motives or instrumental motives salient. The results were consistent with the primary assertion that measures of sex role identity are better predictors of contextual variations in self-disclosure than is sex per se. Sex consistently failed to predict subjects' willingness to self-disclose, both within and across contexts, whereas femininity promoted self-disclosure in the context that was clearly social and expressive in character. Although masculinity failed to exert the expected facilitative impact on self-disclosure within the instrumental context, it nonetheless influenced the results; androgynous subjects, who scored high in both masculinity and femininity, were more self-revealing across contexts than was any other group.     

Rules, risk and self-disclosure

The notions of rules and risk are inextricably involved with self-disclosure in counselling and in personal relationships. A hundred single British male under-graduates were asked to rate 120 self-referent items in terms of whether, if that item were true of them, they would like or dislike that aspect of themselves; and then to assess the degree of risk that might be entailed in disclosing it to a close male friend, a close female friend, a male acquaintance, and a female acquaintance. The characteristics most positively valued included happiness, health, heterosexuality, agood' job, and getting on well with others (including parents). In general, subjects anticipated greater risk in disclosing negative than positive characteristics, though there were some exceptions. The degree of friendship with the recipient of the disclosure appeared to lessen the anticipated risk of disclosure, while the sex of the disclosee generally made only a marginal difference. The findings are discussed in terms both of students' self-esteem and also of their relevance to counselling. Additionally, the social exchange implications of positive and negative self-disclosure are considered.     

Field dependence,sensation seeking and driving behaviour

The present study attempted to relate field dependence-independence (FDI) to accident involvement and perceived causes of accidents as well as to trace these relationships to the sensation-seeking (SS) tendency of the field-dependent driver. In addition, the concomittant effects of internal/external locus of control (IE) were studied. Subjects (N=285) filled out a questionnaire assessing their level of FDI, SS, IE, number of accidents, as well as the attributed importance of various possible causes of their last accident. The obtained results show no relationship between FDI and SS and either the number of accidents or the importance attributed to various causes of accidents. Significant relationships were, however, obtained between FDI and SS and seat-belt use and SS and speed on the highway.