The literature on performance differences in various tasks as a function of reflection-impulsivity (R-I) is reviewed in this publication. A series of four experiments is then described which involve the cognitive-perceptual basis of R-I of children on a picture recognition memory task. Results from these studies indicated the following important, but tentative, conclusions about the process of picture recognition memory and the underlying perceptual basis of the R-I dimension in children: reflective and impulsive children differ in their propensity to engage in a detailed visual feature analysis of stimulus arrays; the process of visual feature analysis is perhaps the most important component in the underlying basis of R-I; strong inferential evidence was provided that picture recognition memory is primarily a process of visual feature analysis in which the role of verbal labels is minimal and indirect; recognition memory performance is susceptible to differential instructions which emphasize care versus quickness; recognition memory for pictures appears to increase over the elementary school years; and the Selfridge-Neisser model and the recognition paradigm are useful for future research. It was suggested that future research should be performed in this area. (Author/RB)