Although research has suggested that field dependency is a relatively stable characteristic of alcoholics, the results have been confounded by the use of different measures and different time intervals. To investigate the degree of organic brain impairment and its association with measured field dependency amongst alcoholics, 41 male alcoholics, in a 10-month treatment program, completed the Witkin Embedded Figures (forms A and B), the Trail Making Test B, and the Tactile Performance Test (TPT). One half of the subjects were post-tested at 3 weeks and the other subjects were post-tested at 5 weeks on the same measures. An analysis of the results showed no significant initial differences between the two groups on field dependency, cognitive impairment, or time, memory, and location scores on the TPT. Both groups were normatively high in field dependency and mildly neurologically impaired. However, significant decreases in field dependency were found by 3 weeks in treatment, with a subsequent leveling off. All the organic test measures except the TPT showed significant improvement for the 5-week group, while only the TPT improved for the 3-week group. All measures of cognitive functioning at post-test showed significant improvement. These findings suggest that the field dependency of alcoholics may be in large measure an effect of alcohol rather than a cause. (BL)