Field Dependence and Blood Cholesterol: An Expansion

Abstract

In a pilot study of 65 newly admitted psychiatric patients the first author evaluated the relationship between cholesterol, uric acid, and field dependence. The results suggested that high uric acid and low cholesterol individuals were more field independent whereas low uric acid and high cholesterol individuals were more field dependent. However, the differences were influenced mostly by the values of cholesterol and little by the uric acid. We have now expanded the sample to 229 consecutive admissions excepting only inpatients that were alcoholics or taking medication that has effects on any of the dependent variables. Included were age, ponderal index (a ratio of height and weight), and sex. For the whole group, field dependence correlated highly with age and cholesterol but less with blood uric acid. Dividing the sample by sex the situation changed. For males field dependence did not correlate with any of the other variables. However, for the females field dependence showed a positive correlation with cholesterol and age and with cholesterol even after correcting for age. Diagnoses did not correlate with any other variables except field dependence as an analysis of variance showed an increase of field dependence when the patients were divided into three groups: (1) schizophrenics, (2) miscellaneous (including personality disorders), and (3) affective disorders. Again, these results demonstrated no relationship of field dependence with blood uric acid.