Field dependence and extraversion neuroticism on an inpatient psychiatric service

Compared relationship between field dependence (FD) and the scales of Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E) using paraprofessionals (N = 22), professionals (N = 42) and psychiatric inpatients (N = 35) to elucidate the high FD found among the psychiatric inpatients. Recent evidence contradicts Witkins' (1965) early view that as a group, psychiatric inpatients would show psychopathology at the extremes of the FD continuum. The N scale was chosen because it taps a narrow behavior band, the individual's vulnerability to break down under stress. The major hypothesis that FD and N would be functionally related was based on previous empirical findings (Cattell, 1955) and Seligman's (1975) theory of "learned helplessness." Similarly, it was expected that age and sex (i.e., being female) were related functionally to FD. The latter hypotheses were supported. The hypothesis that the profiles of inpatients, professionals and paraprofessionals would throw more light on the high FD found among inpatients was not supported. The relationship between FD and N was discussed in terms of Seligman's (1975) concept of learned helplessness.