| This study was designed to investigate field dependence-independence and whether field preference correlates with firearms proficiency as measured by qualification scores on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Pistol Qualification Course (PQC). A total of 603 FBI New Agent trainees participated in the present study, which measured their field preference by means of the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), and measured their firearms proficiency on mid-term and final qualification scores on the PQC.; This study revealed the baseline field dependent/independent mean preference for New Agent trainees on the GEFT is 12.11. The mean preference for female New Agent trainees were 10.82 and the mean for male New Agent trainees were 12.46. Male New Agent trainees were more proficient at firearms qualification at both the midterm and final qualification points than were female New Agent trainees.; Regression analysis of the qualification scores as dependent variable, and GEFT scores as independent variable demonstrated a significant relationship for men, but not for women. Prior law enforcement or military experience explained a small additional amount of variance, but not nearly as much as did sex. For firearms instructors, these findings point to important curricular changes that should be applied to firearms instruction to support field dependent learners. |
