The relationship between field-dependence-independence and performance in group therapy
Creators: name: Mueller, Ethel Seale
Publisher: name: University of Utah
Year: 2012
Subjects: Psychiatric Nursing

description: This study was an exploratory investigation of the usefulness of the Embedded Figure Test (EFT) as an objective method of selecting members for group psychotherapy.  It was believed that a test which could appraise the patient's potential for benefit from the group therapy experience would be useful to the psychiatric nurse specialist who is selecting prospective patients for therapy.  The professional nurse in psychiatric nursing is also in a strategic position to assist in formulating ht treatment program for patients and if methods were available to her which would enhance her ability to make these professional judgments it would broaden her effectiveness with the ultimate gain of improving patient care.  One reason for attempting to establish this tool as a useful instrument was that it required no verbal or literary skills on the part of the subject; it required no refined skills on the part of the person administering the test and it required no effective tool for use by persons without special training in interpretation required by some of the other forms of personality inventories. The sample used was the adolescent patient population between the ages of 14 and 17 (N = 40) in the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, Wyoming.    It was assumed that the findings would be applicable to all age groups if the theory were substantiated with the adolescent group.  Each subject was interviewed and from this interview a questionnaire was complete from which was obtained the patient's attitude toward group therapy (PAGT) score. The therapist completed a questionnaire on the patients participation in group therapy (Perf score) and evaluated his progress over the period of time he had been in group therapy (Prog score.  The EFT was given to all subjects following the structured interview.  A correlation was done between each of the variables.  It was expected that the field-dependent person, as revealed by a high score on the EFT, would be rated as performing well in group therapy and have a more positive attitude toward group therapy than the field-independent person.  It was further expected that the field-independent person, as revealed by a low score on the EFT would be rated as improving more (Prog) form group therapy than the field-dependent person.  A low and negative correlation of -.34 (p = .05) was bound between EFT and Perf which did not support the expectation.  A low and negative correlation of -.34 (p = .05) was found between EFT and Prog which was predicted.  There was no correlation between EFT and PAGT.  To determine if there were any significant relationship among any of the variables when using the groups at the extreme of the field-dependent-independent continuum the scores were divide into thirds (EFT[U] and EFT[L]).  A significant correlation of .74 (p = .01) was found between EFT and PAGT in EFT[U] group while in the EFT[L] group no significant correlation was found between EFT and PAGT. Possible reasons for these findings were discussed.  Here are certain limitation in the study: (1) small sample, (b) the measures of patients' attitude toward group therapy and the therapist evaluation of patients' performance and progress have not been established as reliable and valid instruments.