Field Dependence and Target Identification

Target identification has usually been studied with respect to environmental parameters which affect the performance of the “human operator.” Rather than use this method, which treats individual differences as sources of error, the investigators studied individual differences and related them to Witkin's concept of perceptual style. Witkin and his associates were able to differentiate subjects on their ability to pull a visual item from an embedding context. Two experiments were conducted using the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) as a measure of perceptual style. Significant correlations between perceptual style and the ability to correctly identify targets in aerial photographs were found. Since a great deal of research has been conducted in the area of perceptual style, it is possible to utilize this research in connection with problems associated with target identification. Implications in the areas of experimental design, selection, and training were discussed.