Relationship between Reflection-Impulsivity and Problem Solving

Performance of 88 children categorized as reflective or impulsive was compared on convergent and divergent problem-solving tasks. The matching familiar-figures test was administered along with tests for determining the correct order of a word sequence, and for listing unusual uses for familiar objects. Reflective children ( n = 33) made significantly fewer errors on the convergent problem-solving task than impulsive children ( n = 33), but there was no effect of cognitive style on the divergent problem-solving task. Reflective-impulsive performance was discussed in terms of evaluation criteria for selecting responses.