Reflection-Impulsivity and Executive Functions in school-age children: A structural Model

ARÁN FILIPPETTI, VANESSA; RICHAUD, MARÍA CRISTINA

Cape Town

Congreso; 30th International Congress of Psychology; 2012

IUPsyS

The present work aims to analyze the relationship between the Reflection-Impulsivity cognitive style (R-I) and executive functions (EF) in school age children. The R-I cognitive style was introduced into the literature during the 1960s by Kagan et al. to refer to the particular way in which a child faces tasks that demand resolution of conflicts characterized by uncertainty. We hypothesized, that reflective children would be more capable during the resolution of cognitive-executive tasks since they would use analytic and remembering strategies that allows them to value different alternatives of response. In contrast, the impulsive children would commit more mistakes for the lack of anticipated outcomes, the precipitation of answers and an insufficient use of analytic strategies. We worked with a sample of 124 children from 7 to 12 years of age. We administered the matching familiar figure test-20 (MFFT-20) to measure the R-I and different neuropsychological tasks sensitive to the prefrontal cortex functioning to measure the EF. To evaluate the relationship between R-I and EF, we used Pearson´s correlations. Besides, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test two theoretical models. The results indicate an association between R-I and the executive functioning; the major the cognitive impulsivity, the minor the executive functioning. The CFA of better adjustment suggested that R-I is a different but related construct to EF. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of enhancing reflective disposition in school settings.