The Role of Affect in Delay of Gratification.

MOORE, BERT S.; CLYBURN, ANDREA; and UNDERWOOD, BILL. The Role of Affect in Delay of Gratification. CHrLD DEVELOPMENT, 1976, 47, 273-276. 3-5-year-old children were given instructions designed to evoke either a positive, negative, or neutral mood. They were then given a choice between an immediately available but less preferred reward or a delayed, preferred reward. It was found that positive-mood subjects were more likely to choose the delayed reward, while negative-mood subjects were more likely to choose the immediate reward. Results were interpreted in terms of processes of affect and self-gratification.