The Effects of Distinct Groups in Computer Use

When we are younger, many of us just go to school because we are told. Some appear to luxuriate in school and some chose to abandon schools the first chance they get. As we grow older, different individuals begin to flourish in different aspects of school that others do not. Do you ever wonder why? Many individuals have distinct ways in which they process information in the brain, also known as cognitive style.

Field dependence/independence refer to the degree to which an individual’s processing of the information is effected by the environment around them (Summerville, 1999). Field dependence/independence affect cognitive style within everyone. “Field dependence/independence appears to affect many aspects of daily life including the ability to learn from social environments, types of educational reinforcement needed to enhance learning, amount of structure preferred in an educational environment, cue salience, interactions between teachers and students, and career choices.” (Summerville, 1999). Relevancy of this appears to stem from the individual’s ability to gain or retain information in the learning e

The role of race or ethnic origin plays a significant part in the access of computer technology. “Whites are more likely to have access to the Internet from home, than Blacks or Hispanics have from any location” (Defining the Digital Divide, 1999). Black and Hispanic households are 2/5 as likely to have home Internet access as White Households (Defining the Digital Divide, 1999). What does this say about access for families with different backgrounds? Statistics show that capital appears to have an influence on the number of computers in the home for any race or ethnic background. The gap for computer ownership among Blacks/Whites decreased 76.2% between 1994 and 1998 at higher incomes of $75,000+ in a 12-month period (The Digital Divide, 1999). Decreasing the cost of computers can generate increased computer usage among all backgrounds.

In a study done by Summerville (1999), they separated the participants by field dependent/independent cognitive style by taking the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The structural environment for field independence had a minimal structure in which the participants could choose to proceed in any order and granted minimal feedback (1999). The field dependent group was highly structured where the participate had to complete the information in sequential order before proceeding and was provided with extensive instructional support. Summerville divided the participants putting a few field dependent personalities’s in the field independent group and vice versa. The participant’s were not informed of their own cognitive type given by the GEFT. The field independent group, by the end, made comments like “it drove me crazy to

Some topics in this essay:
Distinct Computer, Digital Divide, According Summerville, Census Bureau, Webb Cochrane, Test GEFT, Internet People, Liu Ginther, cognitive style, Black Hispanic, field independent, computer home, field dependent, summerville 1999, digital divide, , access computers, divide 1999, digital divide 1999, month period computer, field dependence/independence, households earn, field independent cognitive, defining digital divide, effects distinct computer,