Computing Tools for the Psychological Study of Choice Behavior

Abstract

The computing tools described here were developed with the help of Daniel Rogers for Dr. Lori-Ann Forzano’s psychology lab at The College at Brockport, and were designed to aid in the study of choice behaviors, such as self-control and impulsivity, across age ranges. Impulsivity can be defined as the choice of a smaller, less delayed reward over a larger, more delayed reward, with self-control as the opposite. These two concepts are often studied in psychological contexts, and computer programs such as these allow for the study of self-control in regards to video reinforcers. The current programs recreate and expand upon a previous program used in the lab in order to assist in future studies. During development, close work was done with psychology faculty in an effort to examine the underlying psychological principles to be studied with the completed programs. The design and development was done in a way that allows the programs to meet the standards necessary for them to be used in scientific research. These programs are compatible with newer technologies, and improve upon previous versions of the program by allowing retrieval of videos from additional sources, allowing new studies to be developed and run.