Reflection-Impulsivity and Need for Achievement in Emotionally Disturbed Children

Abstract

Reflection-impulsivity is the cognitive dimension proposed by Kagan and his colleagues to describe the differences in children's resolution to response uncertainty. Impulsive children tend to respond quickly without considering all of the available alternatives and consequently make many mistakes. Reflecttive children consider all of the available alternatives, withhold responding until they have a high probability of being correct, and consequently make few mistakes. The primary dynamic underlying a reflective cognitive style is hypothesized to be a fear of making a mistake: the greater the fear, the more reflective the child is and the more cautiously he performs. On the other hand, minimal anxiety over a potentially inaccurate answer is likely to result in an impulsive performance.