Some Relations Between Field Dependence—Independence and a Holistic, Developmental, Systems-Oriented Perspective

This chapter attempts to explicate some relationships between the conceptualization of field dependence-independence (FDI) cognitive style by Witkin and his colleagues (cf. Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, & Karp, 1962; Witkin & Goodenough, 1981; Witkin et al., 1954) and the organismic-developmental, systems-oriented perspective (cf. Wapner, 1987a, 1987b, 1988) to the transactions (experience and action) of people-in-environments. ¹ In order to accomplish this goal, I describe, with the help of a diagram (Fig. 17.1), some central assumptions of our perspective; moreover, with respect to those assumptions, I describe the similarities and differences between our perspective and the conceptualization of the FDI cognitive style, along with future research directions that have value for theoretical understanding and praxis.