The language behavior of field-independent (F-I) and field-dependent (F-D) clinically normal, verbally resourceful female college students was examined in three different communication conditions: Dialogue, Warm (visually supportive) Monologue, and Cold (visually nonsupportive and stressful) Monologue. F-I and F-D subjects produced similar amounts of the different types of language behavior evaluated in each of the three communicative conditions. However, they differed with respect to verbal output and length of sentence "packaging" unit in Monologue conditions. F-D subjects talked considerably less but at the same time produced different types of grammatically more elaborate language behavior in Warm and Cold Monologue compared to their Dialogue language behavior. F-I subjects talked considerably more but also showed a type of language autonomy. The pattern of language behavior which characterized F-I speech in Dialogue remained the same in both Monologue conditions.