Field Dependence-Independence and Its Relationship to Flight Training Performance

Previous research has suggested that level of field dependence- independence could be used as a measure of social skills and vocational interests. According to this research, field-dependent individuals tend to prefer areas of work that require social skills, whereas field-independent individuals favor positions in the sciences or practical-analytical-oriented occupations. This study examined the usefulness of field dependence-independence measure for predicting performance during flight training. One thousand nine hundred seventy-seven 1,977 United States Air Force pilot candidates were administered the Embedded Figures Test as part of a computer-administered test battery prior to entry into Undergraduate Pilot Training UPT. Several items on the Embedded Figures Test demonstrated poor reliability. Further, the level of field dependence-independence was not found to be related to performance during flight training. It was recommended that the test be eliminated for consideration as a selection and classification tool. Keywords Job analysis Flight crews.