Field-dependence factors in American Indian and Caucasian obesity

Compared urban obese and non-obese American Indians and Caucasians on the Group Embedded Figures Test (N = 160). Results indicated an apparent relationship between obesity and field-dependence for Caucasians, but not for American Indians. American Indians were more field-dependent than Caucasians overall, which implies a social conformity factor. These results suggest that psychological factors related to obesity vary across ethnic groups because of apparent cultural differences.