Dysphoric mood and preference for immediate versus delayed monetary reinforcement

It has been proposed that depression is the product of deficits in self-man agement skills: sell-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcement. W hile interventions based on this theory have shown promise, some of the bas ic tenets upon which the theory is based lack empirical support. The presen t experiment tested one such tenet-the claim that depressed individuals sel ect smaller more immediate rein forcers (an impulsive choice) at the expens e of larger more delayed reinforcers (a self-control choice). Currently, em pirical support for this notion is sparse and contradictory. This study add ressed several methodological problems in earlier studies Ly creating diver gent groups based on Beck Depression Inventory scores, employing a task req uiring multiple responses and applying a quantitative model to determine re in forcer value. Analyses indicated no systematic difference between partic ipants in the dysphoric and nondysphoric groups in ability to delay reinfor cement. Thus, the cur rent results provide no support for the hypothesis th at the 36 dysphoric individuals were unable to delay reinforcement relative to the 21 nondysphoric individuals. Because respondents across the sample as a whole showed a self-control preference, how ever, the data are consist ent with findings in the experimental study of choice responding with adult human subjects. Interpretations in terms of sensitivity and. pseudosensiti vity to the experimental contingencies are explored.