External responsiveness to food and nonfood items among obese and nonobese children of two ages

External responsiveness to food and non-food cues was studied among 306 obese and nonobese boys and girls ranging in age from 42 to 156 months. These subjects viewed 5 food and 5 non-food items and stated a preference between an immediate smaller and a delayed larger choice. When presented with food items, obese subjects were less able than the nonobese to delay an immediate smaller gratification to maximize reward magnitude. No significant differences were found between obese and nonobese children regarding nonfood delay choices. These findings are discussed in terms of ontogeny of externality, the cause of some forms of obesity. A significant age difference indicated that preschool children preferred more immediate gratification than did school children. This age difference is consistent with research on delay of gratification using a choice paradigm.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Family and Child Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Family and Child Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Sobhany, Maryam Saffaripour

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106021

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106021