Dysphoric mood and preference for immediate versus delayed monetary reinforcement

It has been proposed that depression is the product of deficits in self-management skills: self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcement. While interventions based on this theory have shown promise, some of the basic tenets upon which the theory is based lack empirical support. The present experiment tested one such tenet--the claim that depressed individuals select smaller more immediate reinforcers (an impulsive choice) at the expense of larger more delayed reinforcers (a self-control choice). Currently, empirical support for this notion is sparse and contradictory. This study addressed several methodological problems in earlier studies by creating divergent groups based on Beck Depression Inventory scores, employing a task requiring multiple responses and applying a quantitative model to determine reinforcer value. Analyses indicated no systematic difference between participants in the dysphoric and nondysphoric groups in ability to delay reinforcement. Thus, the current results provide no support for the hypothesis that 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, however, the data are consistent with findings in the experimental study of choice responding with adult human subjects. Interpretations in terms of sensitivity and pseudosensitivity to the experimental contingencies are explored.