The reflection-impulsivity (R-I) dimension of individual variation incognitive processes is discussed. A literature review focuses on studies that have supported the validity of the R-I dimension as a concept, and studies providing evidence of a direct relationship between the R-I dimension and visual scanningstrategies. This study compares the performances of eight reflective and eight impulsive children (based on results of the Kansas Reflection-Impulsivity Scale) on a forced-choice recognition memory task. Subjects were black children attending an experimental inner-city preschool. The recognition memory task was divided into four experimental conditions of varying difficulty because of varying degrees of similarity between the correct and incorrect stimuli. It was hypothesized that the reflective children would perform significantly better in all four conditions. Results supported the hypothesis, and it was concluded that the tendency to perform detailed visual feature analysis is a major component of the cognitive-perceptual basis that underlies the R-I dimension. (DP)