Assessment and treatment of self‐control with aversive events

Porter et al. (2020) worked with three people who had developmental delays. All three picked the quick, easy chore when given a choice between two yucky tasks.

The team added the same short wait to both chores. Then they watched who picked which job. No prizes, no tokens—just a brief pause before starting either task.

Every person flipped from grabbing the fast chore to picking the harder one. The simple delay turned impulsive choosers into self-controlled choosers.

The effect held without extra rewards, toys, or praise—just a few seconds of wait time.

Logan et al. (2000) and Carlin et al. (2012) showed the same flip by slowly stretching the wait for good stuff. Porter moves the idea to chores you hate instead of snacks you love.

Vessells et al. (2018) later added signals and got bigger gains, but Porter proves you can start with zero bells and whistles.

Whitehouse et al. (2014) looked at delays after the task, not before. Both spots work, so you can pick the timing that fits your client.

Next time a learner rushes to the easier chore, add a five-second wait to both options. No extra tokens, no board—just a calm pause. You should see the child start picking the harder job on their own. Try it during chores, homework, or tooth-brushing routines today.