Preschool children's cognitive styles and their social orientations.

300 children ages 3 to 5 yr. were tested for their cognitive style, measured by the Preschool Embedded Figures Test, and their play preferences, measured by the Play Rating Scale, observed and recorded. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance showed that (1) field-independent children favored all types of play more than field-dependent children, (2) field-dependent and -independent boys engaged more in physical and block play than did the girls, (3) order of preference for play differed between field-dependent and field-independent children (e.g., field-dependent children preferred physical, dramatic, and manipulative play, while field-independent children preferred dramatic, physical, manipulative and block play), (4) boys engaged more in all forms of play than girls, and (5) order of preference for play differed between boys and girls. Boys preferred physical, block, dramatic and manipulative play, while girls preferred dramatic, manipulative, physical, and block play.