THE EFFECTS OF INCENTIVE, SOCIAL CLASS, AND TASK COMPLEXITY ON PERFORMANCE IN A CONCEPT IDENTIFICATION TASK WERE INVESTIGATED. CONCEPT IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS AT THREE LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY (ONE, TWO, OR THREE BITS OF RELEVANT INFORMATION) UNDER THREE INCENTIVE CONDITIONS (MONETARY INCENTIVE, SYMBOLIC INCENTIVE, OR NO-INCENTIVE CONTROL) WERE PRESENTED TO 180 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM BOTH HIGH AND LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS (SES) LEVELS. IT WAS FOUND THAT (1) THE HIGH SES SUBJECTS PERFORMED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THE LOW SES SUBJECTS, (2) PERFORMANCE DECREASED AS TASK COMPLEXITY INCREASED FROM ONE TO TWO BITS OF RELEVANT INFORMATION, BUT NO FURTHER PERFORMANCE DECREASE WAS OBSERVED WHEN COMPLEXITY WAS INCREASED FROM TWO TO THREE BITS OF RELEVANT INFORMATION, AND (3) THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBER OF CORRECT RESPONSES AMONG THE THREE INCENTIVE GROUPS. IN ADDITION, NO RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN SES AND THE NATURE OF THE INCENTIVE USED. (GD)