"I'll do it when the snow melts": The effects of deadlines and delayed outcomes on rule-governed behavior in preschool children.
Tell preschoolers exactly when to finish the task, even if the reward is far away.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The researchers told preschoolers rules like "Put the toys away before the bell rings." Sometimes the bell rang in two minutes. Sometimes the reward came a week later.
They used a multielement design. This means they switched the rules fast to see which ones the kids followed.
What they found
Rules with a clear deadline worked. Kids cleaned up even if the reward came next week.
Rules without a deadline did nothing. The promise of a far-off sticker was not enough.
How this fits with other research
Schmidt et al. (1969) got the same result in a classroom. A ten-minute timer cut noise only if it reset on any loud sound. Deadlines control behavior in many places.
Critchfield et al. (2003) seems to disagree. They saw kids work more when rewards stopped. But their rewards felt like punishment. Mace et al. (1990) used rewards kids wanted, so the papers do not clash.
Giallo et al. (2006) showed rules can steer adult gambling choices. The rule does not need instant pay-offs there either. Deadline rules work across ages and tasks.
Why it matters
Add a clear when or until to every instruction you give. Say "Write your name before I count to ten," not "Write your name." The countdown becomes the deadline cue. Even if the reinforcer is delayed, the child is more likely to comply right away.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the control exerted by different types of rules on the behavior of preschool children. Four similar rules were presented to eight, four-year-old children, using a multielement design. The contingencies the rules described varied in the specification of deadlines and in the delays in the delivery of the reinforcers. The results showed (a) rules specifying only response requirements did not reliably control behavior, (b) rules specifying an immediate deadline with the immediate delivery of a reinforcer exerted reliable control, (c) rules specifying an immediate deadline with a one-week delay in the delivery of the reinforcer also exerted reliable control, and (d) rules specifying no deadline with a one-week delay in the delivery of the reinforcer exerted little control. These results suggest that a rule's specification of a deadline is crucial in its control of behavior, but the delay of the reinforcer is of little importance. This latter conclusion further suggests that problems in self-control do not result from delayed outcomes or the inablity to delay gratification, contrary to conventional wisdom.
The Analysis of verbal behavior, 1990 · doi:10.1007/BF03392848