EFFECTS OF EXPECTED DELAY TIME ON SUBJECTIVE VALUE OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

4 experiments examined how the length of anticipated temporal delay periods preceding the occurrence of rewards and punishments affects their subjective value for middle class 4th and 5th graders and college students. Ss were confronted with a series of rewards or of punishments which were presented as occurring immediately or after specified delay periods up to several wk. in duration. In each set, Ss indicated their preferences for outcomes of objectively equal value that differed only in the amount of expected time delay before their occurrence. As predicted, as the anticipated delay interval for attainment of a reward increased, the subjective value of the reward decreased for both children and adults. In contrast, the length of anticipated delay time did not affect the subjective value of punishments. Any anticipated delay, regardless of duration, consistently did affect the aversiveness of punishments for adults, but not for children. Adults preferred immediate punishments to more delayed ones, regardless of specific time intervals; children's evaluations of punishments were not influenced systematically by any future temporal considerations. Overall results help clarify how future time may guide behavior. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.