Abstract:
Restlessness has been associated with childhood developmental behaviour. Some children outlive this behaviour
while in others, it persist and becomes a problem that prevents them from fulfilling their potentials. If such developmental
behaviours are identified early they can be modified, otherwise they develop into serious disorders. Impulsive behaviour is a
pervasive characteristic of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), which is known to interfere with successful
learning. The present study assessed a cognitive modelling procedure for modifying impulsivity among children. Fifty-four
pupils aged between nine and thirteen years were assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group received
training in cognitive modelling with reflective thinking practices, and the control group was given a placebo in reading
comprehension in English. Results revealed superiority in response-time and accuracy (to the Matching Familiar Figures Test-
20) of the treatment group over the control group. This result subsisted at one month follow-up measures. It is suggested that
the school in collaboration with educational psychologists should establish remedial programmes in which reflective
procedures could be employed to nurture impulsive children to approach cognitive tasks reflectively.
