Is Impulsivity a Defining Characteristic of Brain Injury?.
SARAH M. DUNKEL (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) and Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University) Abstract: Impulsivity is a defining characteristic of brain injury and the new repertoire of the person with brain injury is often deemed a product of altered biology. While impulsivity is considered common in this population, behaviorally-based interventions have been successful at reducing this proclivity towards suboptimal choice making. The present study examined the possibility of illusory choice making on the preference between small immediate and large delayed reinforcers in adolescents with brain injury. Initially all participants were asked to complete a motor task in the absence of any programmed reinforcement. Following this initial assessment, participants were presented the choice between smaller immediate and larger delayed reinforcers. Finally, participants were given a choice between (a) an immediate, small reinforcer with no task requirement, (b) a delayed reinfo
