A delay discounting survey was provided to 30 participants to assess hypothetical choices. Each question provided choices between using a complementary plastic bag and harming an ocean animal or purchasing a reusable bag and not harming an ocean animal. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a control or values-based activity. The values-based activity utilized Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to assist in identifying participants’ values and committed actions, whereas the control activity included a word association game. Discounting scores were calculated across delay discounting surveys conducted pre- and post-activity completion. The purpose of the study was to assess relationships between completion of activities (values-based or control) and discounting scores on items pertaining to environmental sustainability. Implications, limitations, and future directions are provided and discussed

Delay discounting involves a hypothetical choice between a smaller-sooner value and a larger-later value. Past research has demonstrated the hypothetical choices made in delay discounting correlate with actual money choices and predict impulsivity with drug use, gambling, and food choices. Though delayed discounting has been studied widely, it is unknown whether impulsivity is a characteristic trait or is influenced by contextual cues. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to improve psychological well-being in various contexts. The present study explored the effect of brief mindfulness exercises on impulsivity through a multiple baseline design across 5 participants. Results were mixed, with some participant’s AUCs increasing post-treatment and others remaining the same or decreasing. The current study raised some questions for future research regarding the contextual control of mindfulness and impulsivity.

Academic procrastination is a highly prevalent issue among students of all education levels and is associated with negative outcomes across many domains (e.g., grades, and physical and mental health, Zentall, 2021). Currently, the majority of research on academic procrastination and its impact on educational outcomes implements questionnaires or self-reports, which are not cohesive with a behavior-analytic approach to procrastination. This situation limits a behavioral understanding of procrastination, and thus the development of effective related interventions. The present study aimed to contribute to this gap by testing the relationship between performance in a systematic replication of the academic discounting task (ADT) designed by Olsen et al. (2018) and three temporally-based measures of academic procrastination, which were collected via the students’ course progress in their Learning Management System platforms (D2L): (a) latency to turn assignments in hours (LTA; average time in hours that elapsed between when the assignments were made available by the instructor and the student turned them in), (b) latency of starting to work on assignments in hours (LWA; average time in hours it takes a student to start working on assignments after the instructor has made them available), and (c) time-to-deadline of submitting assignments in hours (TTD; average time in hours between the time assignments were due and when they were submitted). An association between TTD and ADT k values (a measure of rate of discounting), as well as an association between the three behavioral measures was found. Also, a significant difference in ADT k values between students who reported being employed versus unemployed students was observed. Lastly, a positive association between TTD and ADT k values, and a negative association between TTD and ADT AUC values was found; namely, high rates of discounting during the ADT predicted less postponement of assignment submission. These findings altogether provide additional support for the validity of the ADT as a measure of hyperbolic discounting of academic outcomes and the relevance of the three behavioral measures of academic procrastination. However, the unexpected finding that participants who submitted their assignments earlier displayed higher rates of academic discounting during the ADT does not support Olsen et al.’s prediction that delayed academic rewards are the key contributor to student procrastination. Alternatively, it seems that more research is needed to explore the role of aversive factors in procrastination (e.g., effort required to complete the assignment and/or difficulty of the assignment or probability that the hypothetical assignment would produce the related reinforcers, such as a good grade).

The purpose of the current study is to apply the delay and probability discounting in the areas of parent training and probability of success of treatment. There was a total of 31 participants that completed one demographic questionnaire and two probability and delay discounting surveys either via computer or with paper and pencil. Participants had two options in the surveys: one was an immediate reward, and one with a probability delay. The first survey gave scenarios of hours of parent training, the second was a monetary probability discounting survey.

Over the past decade children have been facing increasingly large deficits towards their ability to pay attention. The inability to pay attention impacts children in every facet of their lives from focusing at school, in their home life, after school activities, etc. Inattention may impact children’s school performance, formation of social bonds, and the inability to pick up on appropriate social cues. Recently, more research has been conducted looking at attention processes in children and how they impact their daily functioning. However, a void lies in the treatments to help increase these deficits. The impact inattention has on children may be potentially harmful to their development and overall well-being. One type of treatment that may be beneficial in decreasing attention deficits is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the non-judgmental observation of the ongoing stream of internal and external stimuli as they arise. Mindfulness is a treatment that has been recently gaining popularity in youth populations. Mindfulness is a type of treatment that differs from traditional approaches. The aim of mindfulness is to modify how a person interacts with their environment, teaching them to be aware of the stimuli in their environment, being in contact with their present moment, and helping to increase their overall attention. Experiment I sought to examine the effects of a 6 session, 120-minute Mindfulness Based Intervention utilizing mindfulness activities for children versus that of a Control Group when engaging in various attention tasks. The tasks targeted different attention processes (i.e. sustained attention and inhibitory control) and were presented to the participants at pre and posttest. Participants were selected for the Mindfulness Group or the Control Group based on age. Each participant completed four attention tasks (CPT-X Task, Go-No/Go Task, Visual Cancellation Task, and Crossword Puzzle Task) at the beginning of the study. After completion of the tasks, the Mindfulness Group participated in mindfulness activities and the Control Group continued with treatment as usual (their standard after school/summer curriculum). After the mindfulness training, all participants completed the attention tasks again. Experiment I results were indicative of statistically significant differences with respect to a number of dependent measures across groups. On the CPT-X task, a significant difference was shown at posttest in the experimental (M=1.90, SD=3.12) compared to the control (M=6.4, SD=5.18) group; t (40)=(-3.32), p= .002 on the total false alarms and targets missed. A significant difference was also shown at posttest in the experimental (M=1.55, SD=2.98) compared to the control (M=4.95, SD=4.75) group; t (40)= (-2.71), p= .01 for false alarms in the CPT-X task. When analyzing the Visual Cancellation Task outcomes, a significant difference was shown at posttest in the experimental (M=1.90, SD=3.12) compared to the control (M=6.4, SD=5.18) group; t (40)=(-3.32), p= .002 for total missed. A significant difference was also shown at posttest in the experimental (M=1.55, SD=2.98) compared to the control (M=4.95, SD=4.75) group; t (40)=(-2.71), p= .01 for false alarms on the Visual Cancellation Task. When both sustained attention tasks were compared to determine task outcomes, significant correlations were found between False Alarms on the CPT-X Task and the Visual Cancellation Task: r= .675, p= < .01. Significant correlations were also found between Total Missed on the CPT-X Task and the Visual Cancellation Task: r= .487, p< .05. These results suggest that on multiple attention tasks, sustained attention increased after exposure to mindfulness. Taken altogether, these results indicate that the introduction of a Mindfulness Based Intervention for children served to increase sustained attention. In order to compare the impact of a mindfulness-based training approach on impulsiveness, a multiple probe experimental design across participants was utilized in Experiment II with five participants formally diagnosed with ADHD. During baseline, the participants participated in the delay-discounting task and completed two questionnaires (AFQ-Y and CAMM). The training phases included mindfulness activities from Dixon (2014), ACT for Children with Autism and Emotional Disorders. After participating in the mindfulness activity, the participants were presented with the discounting task and the two questionnaires. Overall, increases in the participant’s discounting scores as measured by their AUC (Area Under the Curve) improved. This suggests that after receiving the mindfulness activities, the participants made less impulsive decisions towards monetary outcomes. Moderate changes on the CAMM self-report measure occurred for 3 out of 5 participants. The introduction of the mindfulness activities showed to increase self-control decision making and mindful awareness. Experiment III sought to examine the effects of a 5 day, 6 hour intensive mindfulness based camp utilizing mindfulness activities versus that of a control group. Participants for the experimental group were recruited via the community and the control group participants were age matched with the experimental group. Participants in the mindfulness camp participated in mindfulness activities across a 5 day period and completed two questionnaires (AFQ-Y and CAMM) before the camp began and again at the end of the last day. The AFQ-Y and CAMM questionnaires are empirically validated questionnaires used to measure psychological flexibility and mindful awareness outcomes with children. The control group did not receive any mindfulness training and completed the same two questionnaires 5 days apart. Results of Experiment III were indicative of statistically significant differences with respect to both dependent measures (AFQ-Y and CAMM) when analyzed within and across the experimental and control group. When analyzing the CAMM outcomes, a significant difference was shown at posttest in the experimental (M=29.66, SD=7.16) compared to the control (M=21.26, SD=8.22) group, t (30)= (2.98), p=.006. Additionally, a significant difference at posttest was shown in the experimental (M=17.13 SD=7.64) compared to the control (M=27.4, SD=12.30) group, t (30) = (-2.74), p= .010 on the AFQ-Y. Visual analysis of the AFQ-Y measure within the mindfulness group from pretest to posttest denotes a decrease in scores across 80% of the participants suggesting increases in psychological flexibility. Visual analysis of the CAMM measure within the mindfulness group from pretest to posttest shows an increase in scores across 67% of the participants suggesting increases in mindful awareness. Previous research has investigated the efficacy of mindfulness interventions with children with the total training contact hours varying. Results of the current study showed that in Experiment I, after a total of 120 minutes of mindfulness training, increases in attention were demonstrated across the experimental group. Experiment II demonstrated that mindfulness training was effective in altering decision making in children with ADHD and Experiment III results showed that after 30 hours of the mindfulness training, mindfulness served to facilitate increases in psychological flexibility and mindful awareness. Additionally, across experiments I and III, a greater influence on attention, mindful awareness, and psychological flexibility was shown compared to the control groups, suggesting the importance of mindfulness training with children.

Research on exotic dancers as a population indicates that exotic dancers may be a high risk population due to correlations of substance abuse and risky sexual behavior with the profession, (CDC, 2015; Sherman et. al, 2011; Reuben et. al, 2011; Forsyth & Deshotels, 1997). In delay discounting research, it has been demonstrated that populations of individuals who engage in risky sexual behavior and abuse substances have steeper rates of discounting on a delay discounting task compared to their peers (Moreira et. al, 2015; Jones et. al, 2015: Celio et al., 2016). Steeper rates of discounting indicate an increased degree of preference for smaller-sooner reward versus larger-later reward as measured by a discounting survey task with hypothetical monetary rewards and may indicate higher rates of impulsivity (Moller et al., 2001). This study sought to determine if exotic dancers delayed more steeply than restaurant worker peers. Results indicate that at longer delays, exotic dancers discount more steeply than their restaurant worker peers, which may indicate a higher degree of impulsivity among exotic dancers as a population..

The prevalence of procrastination in the college environment is extremely high with estimates that 80–90% of college students procrastinate when completing academic tasks. Since it impacts the majority of college students, early identification of an individual’s personality traits and behavioral delay discounting tendencies that may contribute to academic procrastination can lead to improved productivity and overall, a better college experience. The present study reviews what is already known about the relationships between personality and delay discounting with academic procrastination. Based on the review of the current literature, this study strives to reinforce and extend what is known about the relationships between these variables, improve the methodology used to examine these relationships, and provide a possible neural basis of procrastination. The proposed study will be conducted with first-year undergraduate student participants who attend Scripps College, over three academic terms (three participant samples). The study materials consist of two self-report personality measures (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Revised NEO Personality Inventory), a delay discounting task involving choices between hypothetical monetary rewards, and two measures of academic procrastination: a self-report measure (Procrastination Assessment Scale—Students) and a behavioral measure through course assignment submission. The study predicts that the typical academic procrastinator is introverted, perceptive, neurotic, and impulsive. In addition, an academic procrastinator has tendencies toward poor self-discipline, non-conscientious behavior, and preferences for discounted future rewards. Limitations of this study and future directions are also discussed.

Thesis advisor: Elizabeth Kensinger / Thesis advisor: Katherine Mickley Steinmetz / Distractibility and impulsivity have long been thought of as two separate psychological processes; however, there is currently evidence that suggests otherwise. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding on the behavioral level of the interaction between these two traits. I proposed a model in which some individuals have a higher than average threshold for activation of the top-down cognitive control resources that are important for directing and maintaining attention as well as for regulating impulsive behaviors. To test the strength of this model I used an experimental paradigm that combined two different types of tasks—a spatial working memory task and a delay discounting of a primary reward (juice) task. Participants were administered the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale in order to be classified in terms of their trait distractibility and trait impulsivity subscale scores. The results suggest that there is indeed an association between the traits of distractibility and impulsivity, and that they may be linked by a common mechanism involving a variable threshold of activation of top-down control resources to regulate these behaviors. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Psychology.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in decision-making. Aim: To determine the effects of smoking status on delay discounting in schizophrenia in comparison to non-psychiatric controls. Method: Cross-sectional comparison of delay discounting across smoking and psychiatric status. Hypotheses: Individuals with schizophrenia were hypothesized to have higher rates of delay discounting than controls; Non-smokers with schizophrenia would have higher rates of delay discounting than smokers. Control smokers would discount future rewards more than non-smokers. Results: No significant differences in delay discounting were observed between psychiatric groups. Smokers with schizophrenia exhibited more delay discounting than non-smokers. Within the psychiatric group, former smokers discount rates were similar to current smokers. Conclusion: Delay discounting deficits in schizophrenia and modulation by cigarette smoking were not supported; our pattern of results in schizophrenia does suggest that deficits in delay discounting in these patients appears to be a trait rather than a state-dependent phenomenon.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in decision-making. Aim: To determine the effects of smoking status on delay discounting in schizophrenia in comparison to non-psychiatric controls. Method: Cross-sectional comparison of delay discounting across smoking and psychiatric status. Hypotheses: Individuals with schizophrenia were hypothesized to have higher rates of delay discounting than controls; Non-smokers with schizophrenia would have higher rates of delay discounting than smokers. Control smokers would discount future rewards more than non-smokers. Results: No significant differences in delay discounting were observed between psychiatric groups. Smokers with schizophrenia exhibited more delay discounting than non-smokers. Within the psychiatric group, former smokers discount rates were similar to current smokers. Conclusion: Delay discounting deficits in schizophrenia and modulation by cigarette smoking were not supported; our pattern of results in schizophrenia does suggest that deficits in delay discounting in these patients appears to be a trait rather than a state-dependent phenomenon.