Delay of gratification in preschool children following access to print and mobile electronic media

Abstract

The present experiments assessed the extent to which mobile electronic and print media interact with operant demand and delay of gratification in preschool children. Participants were six boys recruited from a university-operated preschool. In Phase 1, participants allocated responses to buttons providing access to either a print book at a fixed-price or an e-book containing identical stimuli available at increasing prices to examine substitutionlike effects. In Phase 2, across 9–15 sessions, participants received access to either the print book, the e-book, or a fast-paced interactive tablet game, 3–5 times each in a randomized sequence; each engagement was immediately followed by a delay of gratification task (i.e., the marshmallow test). In this task, participants could consume a single piece of preferred edible at any point or wait to receive two pieces. Overall, delay of gratification wait times were shorter following access to mobile electronic media. We discuss implications and future research agendas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)