Abstract

The use of singular and plural first-person pronouns provided a measure of individuality and mutuality in families of 18 field-dependent and 20 field-independent children (19 boys and 19 girls). The families were observed in home and laboratory settings. Consistent with notions of a more differentiated sense of self, field-independent boys and girls used more 1 words; the greater social orientation of the field-dependent children was reflected in their more frequent use of we terms. Family members in the field-independent group were more varied in their use of these linguistic measures, especially in the lab. Fathers of field-independent children used more we words. These usages were discussed in terms of social control mechanisms. Personal pronoun usage as indicators of separateness/connectedness in families was also discussed.