Mechanisms of impulsive choice: II. Time-based interventions to improve self-control
Open accessAbstract
Impulsive choice behavior has been proposed as a primary risk factor for other maladaptive behaviors (e.g., gambling, substance abuse). Recent research has suggested that timing processes may play a key role in impulsive choice behavior, and could provide an avenue for altering impulsive choice. Accordingly, the current experiments assessed a set of time-based behavioral interventions to increase self-control while simultaneously assessing effects on timing processes within the impulsive choice task. Three experiments assessed temporal interventions using a differential reinforcement of low rates task (Experiment 1) and exposure to either a variable or fixed interval schedule (Experiments 2-3). The efficacy of the interventions was assessed in Sprague-Dawley (Experiments 1-2) and Lewis (Experiment 3) rat strains. Impulsive choice behavior was assessed by measuring preferences of a smaller-sooner (SS) versus a larger-later (LL) reward, while timing of the SS and LL durations was measured during peak trials within the impulsive choice procedure. The rats showed an increased preference for the LL following all three time-based interventions and also displayed increased temporal precision. These results add to the increasing evidence that supports a possible role for temporal processing in impulsive choice behavior and supply novel behavioral interventions to decrease impulsive behavior.
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Extended training under time-based schedules of reinforcement increased rats' preference for the larger-later reward.
“Smith, Marshall, and Kirkpatrick (2015) reported that providing rats with extended training under time-based schedules of reinforcement (e.g., fixed- or variable-interval schedules) increased preference for the LLR.”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Smith et al., 2015
Smith et al. reported that interval-schedule training improved timing precision, but other studies did not replicate this improvement.
“Although Smith et al. (2015) reported that training rats with interval schedules of reinforcement improved timing precision, other studies have not replicated this effect (Peterson & Kirkpatrick, 2016; Stuebing et al., 2018; Fox et al., 2018).”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Smith et al., 2015
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References 121 · Cited by 79
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Evans M Hastings N Peacock B 2000 Statistical Distributions Wiley New York
- Authors
- Smith, A. P., Marshall, A. T., & Kirkpatrick, K.
- Affiliations
- Kansas State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kirkpatrick, Kimberly
- Venue
- Behavioural Processes
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 112
- Pages
- 29-42
- ISSN
- 0376-6357 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4314470
- OpenAlex
- W2026990695
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 121
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 4.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Behavioural Processes (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- NIMH (RO1-MH085739)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- impulsive choice, self-control, temporal processing, temporal precision, differential reinforcement of low rates, fixed-interval schedules, variable-interval schedules, delay discounting, rats, behavioral interventions
- MeSH terms
- Self-Control, Animals, Choice Behavior, Conditioning, Operant, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Reinforcement, Psychology, Reinforcement Schedule, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Rats
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