• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.19-30
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• 2006

The present study investigated the effects of children's cognitive styles on their interpersonal problem solving performances. It examined closely whether children's interpersonal problem solving performances differed depending on their individual cognitive styles such as field independence-field dependence and reflection-impulse cognitive styles. It also examined whether children's interpersonal problem solving performances differed depending on the subjects children interacted with. The subjects were 80 5-and 6-year-old children from three child care centers. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS Win 10.0 and processed statistically using average, standard deviation, and repeated measures design. Children's interpersonal problem solving performances showed differed according to the subjects they interacted with. Children showed better interpersonal problem solving performances with their peers than with adults like teachers or parents. There was a significant positive correlation between children's field independence-field dependence cognitive styles and interpersonal problem solving performances. That is, the more independent children were, the higher their interpersonal problem solving performances were. In addition, there was a partially negative correlation between children's reflection-impulse cognitive styles and interpersonal problem solving performances. The more impulsive children were, the lower the problem solving performances were.