Analysis and Modification of Search Strategies of Impulsive and Reflective Children on the Matching Familiar Figures Test

Abstract

ZELNIKER, TAMAR; JEFFREY, W. E.; AULT, RUTH; and PARSONS, JACQUELYNNE. Analysis and Modification of Search Strategies of Impulsive and Reflective Children on the Matching Familiar Figures Test. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1972, 43, 321-335. Eye movements of 9-year-old Ss designated as impulsive or reflective were recorded while the Ss were performing on three tasks: Task I-Matching Familiar Figures (MFF), Task II-Differentiating Familiar Figures (DFF), and Task III-a second set of MFF problems. The MFF task required the Ss to find the one variant that was identical with the standard, whereas on the DFF the Ss had to find the variant that was different from the standard. The eye-fixation data in Task II for both impulsive and reflective Ss showed a decrease in percentage of fixations on the standard and an increase in systematic comparisons of the variants. The modified scanning strategy found in Task II (DFF) transferred to Task III (MFF) problems for impulsives only; they made fewer errors in Task III than in Task I although their response latency was as short as their response latency in Task I. Data from a reaction-time (RT) task with variable prearatory intervals showed that with long preparatory intervals impulsive Ss had longer reaction times than reflective Ss, indicating the poorer ability of impulsive Ss to sustain attention.