DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE TEMPO IN LEARNING DISABLED AND NORMAL CHILDREN

Abstract. The Matching Familiar Figures Test was administered to 8- to 9-and 10- to 11-year-old learning disabled and normal boys. Time and error data were analyzed separately and in combination according to the Salkind and Wright (1977) model of cognitive tempo to yield two additional variables, impulsivity and efficiency. Normal boys showed developmental changes on time and errors similar to prior findings; no development of time and errors was found for the learning disabled. Significant differences according to age and status were found on impulsivity, but not on efficiency. Results are discussed in terms of learning disabled and normal boys ' comparative development of cognitive tempo, and in terms of implications for further Investigation of the relevance of impulsive cognitive tempo to learning disabilities. The reflection-impulsivity construct de-scribes individual differences among children in approaching problem-solving tasks on which there is a high degree of response uncer