Immediate and delayed reward preferences of TMR adolescents.

ABSTRACT

Adolescent TMR students (mean IQ = 37) were presented with a list of 32 reward options, consisting of primary (food) and secondary (cash equivalent) rewards that were immediately available or delayed one day at a ratio of 12. The greatest number of delay choices occurred when the decision was between immediate/secondary and delayed/primary rewards. Subjects subsequently classified as delayers (34.3% of this population) made the fewest delay choices when presented with immediate/primary vs. delayed/secondary/options. Nondelayers made the most delay choices when given an immediate/secondary or delayed/primary choice.