Preservice elementary school teachers entering a science methods course have been found to differ widely in their command of science process skills. A study was undertaken to examine several variables suggested by the literature to be related to these skills. Forty-five preservice elementary school teachers (5 males and 40 females) were tested at the beginning of their science methods courses to determine their science process skills, field dependence-independence, dogmatism, propositional logic ability, background in science, and age. The data indicate that field-independent and open-minded individuals have significantly better command of process skills than do their more field-dependent and closed-minded counterparts, and that propositional logic ability and science background are not as strongly related to process skills as are the two cognitive styles. This study supports the assertion that certain cognitive makeups are associated with ability in science, and perhaps, reflects that the type of science to which most elementary science teachers are exposed does little to prepare them to understand or teach how science works. (Author/JN)