Term ID: T1620

Field Dependence

/field-dependence/
A cognitive style characterized by relying heavily on external visual cues and context when perceiving and processing information, contrasting with field independence which relies more on internal frames of reference.
Example: People who have difficulty finding simple shapes embedded in complex backgrounds, or who are strongly influenced by the position of surrounding objects when judging vertical orientation.

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Reference: Witkin et al. (1962)