Psvchology
in
the
Schools
Volume
19.
October.
1982
AN ATTEMPTED MODIFICATION
OF
IMPULSIVITY AND SELF-ESTEEM IN KINDERGARTNERS’
BELLE TOLOR ALEXANDER TOLOR
Trumbull Public Schools Fairfield University
On the basis
of
a double median split, using response time and performance accuracy
on the Matching Familiar Figures Test,
39
kindergarten children were designated
either impulsive
or
reflective. The two groups were comparable in age, sex distribu-
tion, and mental development. The impulsive children were given discrimination
training in three sessions over a three-week period totaling
26
minutes. The reflective
children spent a similar amount
of
time listening to stories that were read to them.
Results on retesting support the hypothesized improvement in accuracy and increased
delay in response time as a result
of
training in the impulsive group.
No
significant
changes occurred in reflectives. Neither group demonstrated a significant change in
self-esteem. Teachers might find the modification procedure employed in this study to
be a simple and efficient classroom technique
for
impulsive children.
Previous research has demonstrated that about
30%
of all preschool and elementary
school children are impulsive (Katz, 1971; Siegelman, 1969), and that impulsive children
generally perform much more poorly on certain school tasks than do reflective children
(Cathcart
&
Liedtke, 1969; Kagan, Pearson,
&
Welch, 1966).
For
example, it has been
demonstrated (Kagan, 1965b) that impulsive children have poorer reading recognition
than reflective children. Within the context of impulsive-reflective research, impulsivity is
defined as the child performing both more rapidly and less accurately than the median
performance of his
or
her reference group on Kagan’s individually administered
Matching Familiar Figures Test (Kagan, 1965a). This test requires that, for each item,
the child find the one picture that is identical to the model when it is presented along with
six possible alternatives, all of which resemble the original stimulus very closely. The
reflective child generally examines the pictures with greater care, takes longer to analyze
systematically the features composing the pictures, and responds with relatively greater
accuracy
in
making the appropriate selections than does the impulsive child.
Since the response style of impulsive children often interferes with the attainment of
success
in
various learning situations, despite what frequently is an adequate,
or
even
above average, intellectual ability, an impulsive approach may be accompanied by the
development of negative self-esteem. SurprisIqgly, to our knowledge there has been no
systematic investigation of the relationship between children’s self-concept and “concep-
tual tempo,” as the impulsive-reflective dimension is known.
The purposes of this study are twofold: (a) to study the relationship between self-
esteem and impulsivity-reflectivity in kindergarten children, and (b) to attempt modifica-
tion of the impulsivity
of
those kindergarten children who are
so
identified, with a view
toward activating their potential for more effective learning.
It was hypothesized that specialized training would result in error reduction and
in-
creased response time for impulsive children, and that such training also would result
in
a
more favorable self-esteem
in
impulsives.
No
comparable changes were anticipated over
time
with
reflective children.
Requests for reprints should be sent to Alexander
Tolor,
Graduate School
of
Education and Allied
Professions, Fairfield University, Fairfield,
CT
06430.
‘Appreciation is expressed to Ralph
M.
Iassogna, Principal
of
Tashua School,
for
his efforts in making
this study possible. Robert
J.
Barbieri and Linda Quiggly offered invaluable assistance in data gathering and
analysis. Jean Foster’s generous cooperation is acknowledged.
526
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