Social class and ethnic differences in the use of the three conceptual styles of cognitive performance (Relational, Descriptive, and Categorical) were examined in this study of 112 grade-school boys. The subjects were divided into four groups, black and white middle class, and black and white lower class. Two instruments were used to assess cognitive performance, and it was hypothesized that: (1) the cultural salience of task stimuli would have a significant effect on group differences in performance; and (2) by virtue of increased attentiveness and depth of processing, tasks which are high in cultural salience should engender the use of a wider range of strategies than those which are low in cultural salience. In comparing the two instruments, the results confirmed the hypotheses except in the analysis of relational reasons. Blacks and lower class subjects tended to use more descriptive and categorical reasons on one instrument as compared to the other. The data show that the cultural salience of stimuli does significantly impact social class and ethnic differences in performance. It was also found that factors other than cultural salience of the stimuli influence these differences. (Author/RLV)