Dixon, M. R., Rehfeldt, R. A., & Randich, L. (2003).
Enhancing tolerance to delayed reinforcers: The role of intervening activities.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
36, 263-266.
Three participants with moderate to profound mental retardation
were exposed to choices between an immediate small amount and a
delayed larger amount of a preferred reinforcer. All participants
initially showed a relatively high preference for the smaller
reinforcer, suggesting impulsive choice making. However this
preference reversed, suggesting self-control, when the larger
reinforcer was available immediately and, over time, its delay
was gradually increased. Results highlight the potential utility
of incorporating concurrent activities into self- control
training paradigms.
DESCRIPTORS: _choice, delayed reinforcement, developmental
disabilities, impulsivity, self-control