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GROUP EMBEDDED FIGURES TEST PERFORMANCEIN DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTAL BEHAVIOR STYLES'

LEILA M. FOSTEK*

Veterans Administration West Side Hospital, ChicagoGroup Embedded Figure Test (GEFT) performance of male psychiatric clinicoutpatients differed significantly between persons with active and those withpassive styles of instrumental behavior as measured by the Millon-Illinois SelfReport Inventory. Actives were able to identify the simple figure within acomplex ground significantly better than passives and thus demonstrated anindependence from field not found in pa^ives.

The variation in performance of Ss asked to identify a simple figure in a morecomplex one has attracted the interest of researchers for over 25 years (Witkin,1950). Field independence, for which the embedded figures test is one measure,has been studied extensively (Witkin, Oltman, Cox, Ehrlichman, Hamm, & Ringler,1973). Comparisons have been made of field independence and Eysenck's ex-traversion-introversion theory (Fine, 1972; Fine & Danforth, 1975; Mayo & Bell,1972), Rotter's locus of control dimension (Chance & Goldstein, 1971; Strahan &Huth, 1975), Kassarjian's inner and other directedness (Vaught & Solomon, 1970),Voth's ego distance construct (Bogo, Winget, & Gleser, 1970), MMPI scores (Stan-sell, Beutler, Neville, & Johnson, 1975), and 16PF scores (Hayes & Carley, 1970).Witkin (1965) pointed to the utility of study of the field independence behaviorin studying the symptoms of psychopathology in order to clarify nosological pro-blems.

'This research was supported by Veterans Administration West Side Hospital, Chicago, Illinoisunder grant MRIS #2901-01. The author wishes to express appreciation to tne staff of the MentalHygiene Clinic and Day Hospital for its assistance in collection of self-report inventories and toStacia Super and Dainis Turaids for their assistance in the administration of the tests.

'Reprint requests should be sent to Leila M. Foster, Ph.D., Veterans Administration West SideHospitftT 116A1, P.O. Box 8195, Chicago, Illinois 60680.

572 Journal of Clinical Psychology, April, 1977, Vol. SS, No. 2.In this study, the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) was administered

to male psychiatric clinic outpatients with active and passive instrumental behaviorstyles as determined by the profile scores on the Millon-Illinois Self Report In-ventory, Form C (Millon, 1975). Millon's (1969) theory of the active instrumentalbehavior style is consistent with Witkin's (1950) description of a person who isperceptually field-independent, cognitively analytical, and more differentiated inpsychological functioning. Millon's theory of the passive style corresponds toWitkin's analysis of the person who is perceptually field-dependent, cognitivelyglobal in approach, and less differentiated in psychological functioning. It washypothesized that patients identified as having an active instrumental behaviorstyle on the Millon-Illinois Self Report Inventory would do better than the pasavesin selecting the figure from the ground in the GEFT. Because the Millon theoryinvolves a description and prediction of types of psychopathology in relationshipto the ingrained coping strategies of patients, confirmation of the hypothesis wouldhave important clinical and research implications.

METHODSubjects

Male patients of a psychiatric outpatient clinic of an urban Veterans Ad-ministration Hospital were selected on the basis of their profile scores on the Millon-Illinois Self Report Inventory (Form C) (Millon, 1975). Nineteen patients withactive instrumental behavior profiles of the avoidant and negativistic personalitypattern and 17 patients with passive profiles of the asocial, submissive, and con-forming personality patterns participated in the study. As a control for the verbalintelligence of the two groups, items 90 to 150 of the Peabody Picture Test wereadministered to be certain that there were no significant differences on that variable.Procedure

The GEFT was presented in the standard booklet form with the instructionsgiven in the manual modified for presentation to individuals rather than groups(Witkin, Oltman, Rasldn, & Karp, 1971). The group form of the test was usedbecause of the greater simplicity and shorter length of the test than the EmbeddedFigures Test. All Embedded Figure Test scores, whether group or individual,have been found to be substantially intercorrelated (Jackson, Messick, & Myers,1964). These factors made the GEFT more appropriate for the Sa of this studyalthough the test was administered individually rather than in a group.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSs with active instrumental behavior styles were significantly better at de-

tecting the embedded figures than passive Ss in a one-tailed comparison (jt = 1.732,p < .05). The mean score for actives was 126.1 and for passives, 83.8.

Many theories are advanced for the difference found in performance on theembedded figures task. Witkin and others have related this task to the field in-dependence-dependence construct (Gough & 01 ton, 1972; Witkin, Dyk, Fateraon,Goodenough, & Karp, 1962; Witkin, Lewis, Hertzman, Machover, Meissner, &Wapner, 1954). Research on this construct has assessed the effect of the s.nsitivityof the nervous system (Fine, 1973), levels of physiological arousal that affectbreadth of attention (Oltman, 1964), and repression or emotional blocldng of somesort (Fitzgibbons, Goldberger, & Eagle, 1965; Goodenough, Witkin, Lewis, Koulack,& Cohen, 1974; Minard & Mooney, 1969; Witkin et al., 1962).

The Millon theory of active and passive instrumental behavior styles providesa framework that describes both biogenic and psychogenic factors as responsiblefor the coping strategies of different personality patterns. Under the Millon theory,actives would be expected to differ from passives in perceptual performance, cogni-tive style, and personality pattern. Millon (1969, p. 298) describes the activeavoidants as characterized by "perceptual hyperalertness" and the passive asocials

GEFT Performance in Different Instrumental Behavior Styles 573as "insensitive." .Actives, because of constitutional and learning bia^ses, appearto be alert to stimuli, adept at processing perceptions, and quick to act in response.Passives, because of different threshold levels and perhaps a lifetime of less at-tention to stimuli, appear to perceive less and respond more slowly.

In cognitive style, Millon's actives would be analytical, on guard for logicalerrors, and looking for hidden meanings. Passives, on the other hand would bemore likely to adopt the global cognitive style, take the world at face value, andnot dig into details.

The instrumental behaviors carry over to the personality patterns, whichcauses a sharp differentiation in coping strategies. Millon's actives of the avoidantand negativistic patterns tend to be suspicious, mistrustful, and fearful. Hispassives of the asocial, submissive, and conforming patterns tend to be distant,compliant, and respectful. For example, Millon (1969, p. 298) describes the inter-personal behavior of the active avoidant as "Aversive: hyperalert to avoid censure,derision and humiliation," while the passive asocial is characterized as "Distant:insensitive, imperceptive, and indifferent."

The significant difference in the Embedded Figures Test performance of theactives and passives selected through their profiles on the Millon-Illinois SelfReport Inventory corresponds with the predicted differences in instrumentalbehavior postulated by Millon's theory. This theory merits further study for use inidentifying instrumental behavior style and prediction of types of psychopathology.

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PHYSIOGNOMIC FORM PERCEPTION:A COMPARISON OF NORMAL AND SCHIZOPHRENIC SUBJECTS'

NETTA KOHN DOR-SHAV

Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat Gan, Israel

The following reports the findings of a study that tested the hypothesis thatschizophrenicscontrary to what has been suggested in the literaturearedeficient, rather than superior, in perception of physiognomic properties.The Physiognomic Form Perception Test (PFPT), developed for the purposeand found reliable, was administered to 19 normal and 19 schizophrenic Ss.Results were in support of the hypothesis: normal Ss scored significantly higherthan schizophrenics (t = 3.01, p < .01). In addition, a qualitative analysisof verbalizations showed, as predicted, that schizophrenics gave significantlyfewer "physiognomic-expressive" responses and significantly more of thoserated "associations-rationidizations," as well as more "personalized and self-referent" responses.

This study deals with the problem of physiognomic perception in schizophreniain an attempt to clarify the inconsistency between Werner's (1948) view that thiskind of perception is particularly characteristic of children, primitives and schizo-phrenics, with that which enianates from Gestalt theory and holds that physi-ognomic properties are objective qualities inherent in percepts. For, if Asch iscorrect that we "perceive the expressive properties as directly as we perceiveheight or weight [1952, p. 185]", then it becomes most difficult to accept Werner a(1948, p. 81) contention that a pathological state known for its peceptual difficultiesleads to a more "decided" physiognomic perception.

In the present view, schizoplu-enics can be expected to be deficient, ratherthan superior, in what shall be called "objective physiognomic perception," as wellas to distort objective expressive characteristics in accordance with their personalizedframes of reference. Thus the patient, cited by Werner (1948, p. 81), who respondedto swinging doors by saying "The doors are devouring me", would seem to havebeen reflecting not so much the objective expressiveness of that "yawning-Hilosmg^^configuration, as his own anxiety that something was about to devour his me.It is suggested that, although schizophrenics indeed may be unusually sensitive

'This research was funded by the Committee on Research of Bar-Ilan University. The authorgratefully acknowledges the support given. Requests for reprinta should be addressed to the auttiorat the Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.