The effect of scaffolded, reward-related episodic future thinking on delayed gratification in 6- to 8-year-old children

This study examined whether a puppet-mediated, scaffolded episodic future thinking (EFT) intervention could improve delayed gratification in six- to eight-year-olds. Seventy-two children were assigned to one of three groups: Guided EFT, EFT Cue, or Control. They completed two delayed choice tasks involving real and representational rewards and explained their decision-making. Contrary to expectations, the Guided EFT group did not outperform the others; the Control group had the highest delay scores. Findings suggest the EFT interventions may have been too cognitively demanding, and that multiple factors beyond EFT influence children's ability to delay gratification. Thesis embargoes until 31st December 2027.