An Evaluation of Item Preference for Increasing Self-Control in Typically Developing Preschool Children

Abstract

Children sometimes have a difficult time waiting for preferred items and make impulsive choices (i.e., choosing a smaller but immediate reinforcer over a larger but delayed reinforcer). Previous research has shown that in the absence of delay fading, providing access to leisure items and activities during the delay period is effective for increasing self-control (i.e., choosing a larger but delayed reinforcer over a smaller but immediate reinforcer) in young children (e.g., Newquist, Dozier, Neidert, 2012). The purpose of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of delivering low-, moderate-, and high-preferred toys during the delay period on self-control. Results were idiosyncratic across participants in that (a) for two participants, all items (regardless of preference level) were effective for increasing self-control, even when the toys were also provided when the participant made the smaller, immediate reinforcer choice and (b) for three participants, only high-preferred items were effective for increasing self-control and only when the items were not also delivered for making the smaller, immediate reinforcer choice.