Abstract
Self-control in children: An experimental study about two procedures of acquisition of delay behaviors, Acquisition, maintenance, and generalización of a selfcontrol behavior with preschoolers is analyzed through two different training procedures : a gradual increasing of the delay period, and a saying and doing procedure (self-instruction plus doing what has been instructed). The type of selfcontrol behavior involves the choice between two stimuli, one associated to smaller but immediate reinforcement, and another associated to larger but delayed reinforcement. Three children participated in an alternative design with concurrent control, multiple probes, and sequential application of the two procedures (to evaluate generalization effects across different tasks). Results show the acquisition of the selfcontrol behavior with the two procedures; the formation of alternative behaviors in the delay period when using the saying and doing procedure; and, the functional generalization accross different tasks of the saying and doing behaviors. Maintenance of the self control behavior (when the condition signaling the end of the delay-period was eliminated) was achieved by two of the three subjects in both procedures, however maintenance effect of the gradual delay procedure has not been possible because of the generalization produced by the saying and doing procedure. The application of the last procedure to a self-control behavior is new and it is considered as a procedure which added variables to a self-instruction condition. Further research is emphasized with regard to these points.
