ABSTRACT
This chapter adopts a restricted approach to the diverse issues associated with field dependence. It summarizes relevant aspects of the theory of field dependence. The chapter considers learning and memory research conducted mainly since the publication of Goodenough's (1976) review of this literature. It attempts to extend the findings of Goodenough by focusing on the information processing stages of attention, encoding in short term and working memories, and storage and retrieval processes of long term memory. The chapter considers some developmental issues and implications of the information processing analysis of field dependence. Finally, it suggests some future directions which this research might take to further our understanding of the information processing characteristics of field dependence. Several critics have questioned the stylistic interpretation of field dependence because it correlates with many different ability measures. In 1982, Posner and McLeod have noted that important links between information processing and neuroscience have begun to develop.
