On the Validity of the Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT)

The cognitive styles of Field Independence/Dependence (FI/D) and the scores obtained from the Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT) have been theoretically and empirically studied and analyzed mostly descriptively rather than critically. It has been claimed, among other things, that FIs are better at learning and using rules and prefer deductive learning. FDs, on the other hand, tend to look at the whole of a learning task and prefer inductive learning. At a personal level, it has been asserted that FI learners are mainly introvert and their FD counterparts are extrovert. This study was conducted to investigate the validity of these claims. A total of 60 adult students served as the subjects for the study. GEFT was employed to measure each student’s FI/D cognitive style. An Introversion/Extroversion questionnaire was used to determine whether the subjects of the study were introvert or extrovert. Finally, a deductive and an inductive grammar Consciousness-Raising (C-R) task were utilized to determine the subjects’ attitudes towards the tasks. Pearson Chi-Square test was conducted to examine the above-mentioned claims. The results showed no relationship between the learners’ FI/D cognitive style and their Introvert/Extrovert variable as well as their inductive and deductive learning preference. It seems that scores on the GEFT are indicators of ability, especially in the visuo-spatial domain, rather than style measures.