The field (E) driven ferroelectric-ferroelectric (F+ - F-) transition process in ferroelectric SmC* and antiferroelectric SmC* phases of liquid crystalline material viz. 4'-octyloxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate (MOPBIC) has been studied by measuring dielectric permittivity at different polarizing states during the transition. It is observed that, the interaction between E and ferroelectric polarization, in the SmC*, phase governs the F - F transition, whereas in the SmC* phase, the combination of successive coupling of E with antiferroelectric polarization and dielectric anisotropy is responsible for the same transition. In the SmC* phase there exists antiferroelectric Goldstone mode in analogy with the ferroelectric Goldstone mode in the SmC* phase. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.