Group embedded figures test: psychometric data for a sample of high school students.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) is a tool used to measure field dependence/independence.
• Understanding psychometric properties and normative data is crucial for accurate assessment in educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the psychometric properties and normative data of the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) in a sample of high school sophomores.
• To compare the field dependence/independence of this sample to established normative groups.
• To investigate potential sex differences in field dependence/independence within the sample.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to 259 public high school sophomores (122 boys, 137 girls).
• Calculated the Spearman-Brown coefficient for internal consistency between test sections.
• Compared obtained scores to existing normative data.

Main Results:

• Achieved a Spearman-Brown coefficient of .88 for internal consistency between Sections 2 and 3.
• The sample demonstrated significantly higher field dependence compared to previously reported normative groups.
• No statistically significant sex differences were found regarding field dependence/field independence.

Conclusions:

• The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) shows acceptable internal consistency for this high school sample.
• High school students in this study were more field-dependent than the general population norms.
• Recommendations include extending test administration time to 6 minutes per section for high school-aged individuals.