The Relationship of Field Dependence vs. Field Independence and Impulsivity vs. Reflectivity to Rationality in Rational Emotive Therapy

This study is an investigation of the relationship between the cognitive styles of field dependence vs. field independence as proposed by Witkin and his colleagues (Witkin, Lewis, Hertzman, Machover, Meissner, and Wapner, 1954; Witkin, Dyk, Paterson, Goodenough, Karp, 1962) and impulsivity vs. reflectivity as advanced by Kagan and his associates (Kagan, Rosman, Day, Albert, and Phillips, 1964); and rationality, which is conceived as an indicator of personality adjustment in the theory of psychotherapy of Ellis (1955, 1956, 1962) and other psychotherapists (Hauck, 1967; Maultsby, 1971, 1975). The study explores this relationship in order to provide a better understanding of the cognitive processes that are involved in rational thinking and form a basis for the extension of future research on these and other cognitive styles to rational-emotive therapy and other cognitive approaches to psychotherapy