This descriptive study focused on environmental variables, institutionalization and non-institutionalization of ambulatory older women, field dependence-independence and their relationship to crystallized intelligence. It was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between setting and crystallized intelligence; that non-institutionalized older women would have a higher crystallized intelligence than institutionalized older women. Further, there would be a positive relationship between field independence and crystallized intelligence regardless of the setting. In addition, there would be an interaction effect between field dependence-independence and setting as predictors of crystallized intelligence.

One-hundred-twenty females, ranging in age from 65 to 99, participated in this study; sixty from a geriatric institution, and sixty from a nutrition center. The Group Embedded Figures which measures field dependence-independence and a test for crystallized intelligence (Gf-Gc Sampler) were administered to the women in the two different settings. Hypotheses were analyzed using multiple regression analysis.

The predicted relationship between field independence and crystallized intelligence regardless of the setting was supported. All other relationships were not statistically significant. There was no relationship between setting and crystallized intelligence and no interaction effect between field dependence-independence and setting as predictors of crystallized intelligence.

The unusually high level of sensory input in the institutional setting may have been instrumental in maintaining the same level of crystallized intelligence as those women in the non-institutional setting. Age may have played a factor in the outcome as the mean age of the institutionalized subjects were significantly higher than those in the non-institutional setting. Crystallized intelligence is purported to increase with age.

Crystallized intelligence presents many theoretical, experimental, and practical questions for the researcher and clinician. Considering the highly complex nature of cognitive functioning, the development of knowledge about various variables that impinge or enhance this function should encourage continued research in this area.