Self‐control: Teaching Tolerance for Delay in Impulsive Children

Abstract

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.

Self-Control and Impulsivity in Children: Multiple Behavioral Measures

“…For the self-control sessions, the apparatus was identical to the apparatus used in previous research (Forzano & Logue, 1995;Forzano et al, 2003;Logue & Chavarro, 1992;Logue et al, 1996). The apparatus was a wooden box (76 cm wide × 80 cm high × 47 cm deep) with an open back (adapted from Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988). On the front of the box was a picture of Mickey Mouse (see Figure 1).…”

“…In other words, both externally imposed and self-imposed delay tasks involve a choice component, but only self-imposed delay tasks involve sustaining that choice or inhibiting the response for the smaller, less delayed reinforcer (Reynolds & Schiffbauer, 2005). Precommitment procedures have been found to result in increases in self-control (Chelonis, Logue, Sheehy, & Mao, 1998;Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988).…”

Dietary restraint and self-regulation in eating behavior

“…In several areas of self-regulation, it has proved possible to train individuals in self-control, for example, teaching tolerance for delay to gain greater reward to preschoolers 137 and improving emotion and impulse control in school children. This has also proved a valuable approach in improving adherence to health interventions targeting increased physical activity, 138 fruit and vegetable consumption 139 and smoking cessation.…”

Using a Time Timer™ to increase appropriate waiting behavior in a child with developmental disabilities

“…Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff (1988) described one method whereby the delay is gradually increased for a larger reinforcer while the smaller reinforcer remains immediately available. Dixon and Cummins (2001) extended this research further by illustrating that self-control may be increased by establishing a history in which participants are gradually exposed to progressive delays, and are concurrently given the choice to engage in an intervening activity during that delay.…”

“…It has been suggested that an adult human's increased preference for delayed, larger reinforcers may somehow be linked to their advanced verbal abilities (Schweitzer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988). This may explain why people with a limited verbal capacity experience difficulties in waiting for delayed reinforcement.…”