Delay aversion
Summary
- The hypothesis suggests choosing an immediate outcome can sometimes be a way to escape the discomfort of waiting.
- A cue that waiting is coming may trigger a response; when escape is impossible, movement may change the experience.
Ending the wait immediately may itself be a reward
Proposed in research
The delay aversion hypothesis proposes that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may prefer smaller, immediate rewards partly because waiting feels unpleasant. Future rewards being less appealing may not be the only reason. Choosing the immediate outcome ends that feeling, making the same choice more likely next time(van & Tripp, 2020).
For the same preference for immediate rewards, delay discounting focuses on how appealing the reward itself is. The delay aversion hypothesis also considers how hard the wait feels.
A cue may trigger a response before the wait begins
Proposed in research
An experiment in male adolescents found that cues signaling an upcoming wait triggered stronger responses in emotion-related brain regions in the ADHD group. Longer waits prompted stronger responses in some regions; responses were also associated with self-reported aversion to waiting(Van et al., 2018).
This suggests that understanding the urge to escape also means considering the moment someone learns a wait is coming.
When escape is impossible, movement may change how waiting feels
Proposed in research
The hypothesis predicts that when people cannot leave a waiting situation, activity or stimulation may make the wait less unpleasant. Related child studies found more activity in the ADHD group during waits; this difference disappeared when stimulation was provided(van & Tripp, 2020).
From this perspective, Fidgeting while waiting may change the experience, rather than simply indicate unwillingness to cooperate.
Evidence
Emerging evidence
References (2)
- ReviewHow to Improve Behavioral Parent and Teacher Training for Children with ADHD: Integrating Empirical Research on Learning and Motivation into Treatmentvan der Oord Saskia, Tripp Gail (2020). Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
- Cohort studyDelay aversion in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is mediated by amygdala and prefrontal cortex hyper‐activationVan Dessel Jeroen, Sonuga‐Barke Edmund, Mies Gabry, Lemiere Jurgen, Van der Oord Saskia, Morsink Sarah, Danckaerts Marina (2018). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry