Field Dependence and Occupational Activity in the Aged

Abstract

Prior studies of field dependence of elderly persons have led to questions as to the course of development of this function in the latter decades of life and consideration of the implications of such development for the prediction of longevity. As a first step toward answering such questions, the present study was designed to evaluate effects of increasing age, between 60 and 90, on field dependence and relationships between field dependence and state of activity as represented by gainful employment. 50 Ss recruited from a day center in New York City were given two tests of field dependence. In general, field dependence was found to increase with age. However, there was some suggestion that the rate of such increase may diminish during the seventh or eighth decades. When 20 employed and 20 retired males, aged 60 to 75 were compared, the employed Ss were significantly more field independent than their retired peers.