SELF‐CONTROL: TEACHING TOLERANCE FOR DELAY IN IMPULSIVE CHILDREN
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We investigated a procedure to increase the selection of larger, more delayed reinforcers (i.e., more advantageous in the long run) over smaller immediate reinforcers, in an effort to increase a key aspect of self‐control in children. Six preschoolers, including one comparison subject, identified by their teachers as impulsive, were preassessed and found consistently to select smaller immediate reinforcers over larger, more delayed ones. The teaching procedure consisted of gradually increasing the durations of the delay interval over many sessions. The follow‐up assessments showed that 5 of these children increased the proportion of their choices of the delayed reinforcers. Before training, indifference points ranged from 1.7 to 51.7 s; following treatment, points rose to a range of 37.5 to at least 90 s, with 3 children preferring the larger reinforcer at all delay intervals tested. The results demonstrated the feasibility of teaching young children to make choices more advantageous to them in the long run.
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Schweitzer and Sulzer-Azaroff reported large reductions in six preschoolers' impulsive choices after fading-in training.
“Schweitzer and Sulzer-Azaroff (1988) reported large reductions in six preschoolers’ impulsive choices following this “fading-in” training”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988
Among the experimental manipulations reviewed, only delay fading has been evaluated and shown effective in young children.
“To our knowledge, of the experimental manipulations reviewed above, only delay fading has been evaluated and proven effective in young children (Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988)”
From Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health (2019) · cites this paper as Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988
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- Authors
- Schweitzer, J. B., & Sulzer‐Azaroff, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schweitzer, Julie B.
- ORCID
- Schweitzer, Julie B.
- Venue
- Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1988-09
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 173-186
- ISSN
- 0022-5002 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-3711
- PMC
- PMC1338866
- OpenAlex
- W1993129877
- Cited by
- 172
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- self-control, impulsivity, delay discounting, indifference point, preschool children, choice behavior
- MeSH terms
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Behavior Therapy, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Psychomotor Performance, Reinforcement Schedule, Token Economy
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