Reflectivity and Impulsivity

Reflectivity and Impulsivity
Reflectivity and impulsivity are polar ends of a
spectrum in a third and very substantial cognitive
style. Studies in this domain began in the early 1960s
with several researchers, such as Jerome Kagan. One
of the methods for testing this cognitive style involves
administration of the Matching Familiar Figures
Test, which requires subjects to view a picture of an
object and then attempt to match the object when
presented with the same object in a group of similar
objects. The test is then scored according to the time
required to identify the objects and the accuracy of
identification.
Neil Salkind and John Wright have studied scoring
measures for this cognitive style. People who are
slower than the median, but score more accurately
than the median, are considered to be ‘‘reflective.’’ In
a classroom, these would typically be the students who
take extended time on a task and produce very accurate
work. Those who test faster than the median but
score below the median of accuracy are ‘‘impulsive.’’
These individuals are frequently described as students
who rush through assignments, frequently missing
the correct answers. In addition, impulsive
students do not consider as many alternative answers
when presented with open-ended questions as compared
to reflective students. These same students also
have a more global approach to information processing
and do not identify the parts of a whole as readily
as their peers. They also have difficulty with delayed
gratification on tasks. Reflective students are more
analytical in their problem-solving approach and do
not have the same level of difficulty with delayed gratification.
Given that these differences in reflectivity-impulsivity
are apparent as early as preschool, it is fascinating
to consider developing classrooms that provide
equal opportunities for learning and
demonstration of application to students at both ends
of this spectrum. Several studies indicate, however,
that the traditional classroom favors the reflective students
over the impulsive ones. Specific to education,
studies have found that students who are placed with
a reflective teacher tend to score more reflectivity at
the end of the year than at the beginning, while students
placed with an impulsive teacher score higher
levels of impulsivity at the end of the year. This indicates
that there is some environmental influence on
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the level of reflectivity-impulsivity and its expression
in student behavior.
It is important to note that correlational studies
have been conducted on any relationship between intelligence
and each of the three cognitive styles.
There is consistent data indicating no direct relationship
exists between cognitive styles and intelligence.
Nevertheless, an individual’s ability to acquire knowledge
on an equal plane with peers, or to demonstrate
his or her knowledge in specific social or academic
settings, may be affected by cognitive styles. Through
early childhood development, continued success or
frequent difficulties in these abilities could affect personality
and social interactions.
Because of the potential influence of cognitive
styles, additional educational research is necessary to
assess the full effect that cognitive style has on a
child’s perception, analysis, and application of information
presented in the classroom setting. There is
also an implication that some assessment techniques
used by educators may, by the nature of presentation,
solicit different responses from students with differing
cognitive styles. These testing methods should
also be studied in terms of their interactions with individual
cognitive styles.