Temporal myopia in preschool-aged children

<p>Previous research has shown that while monkeys prefer more over less when food amounts are small, they become indifferent when amounts are made larger than can be consumed in a single setting, termed a temporal myopia effect. This is contrary to what we know of adult humans, so the present study examines this effect in children. Preschool-aged children from a university day-care center were asked to make choices between differing amounts of popcorn, a preferred food. Findings in Experiment 1 suggest that children do exhibit temporal myopia, though this result was not replicated in Experiment 2. Contrary to the results of Experiment 1, participants in Experiment 2 showed a preference for more over less regardless of the choice amount alternatives. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.</p>