pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task - PubMed

  • ️Fri Jan 01 2016

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Charles C J Frye et al. J Vis Exp. 2016.

Abstract

Delay discounting refers to a decline in the value of a reward when it is delayed relative to when it is immediately available. Delay discounting tasks are used to identify indifference points, which reflect equal preference for two dichotomous reward alternatives differing in both delay and magnitude. Indifference points are key to assessing the shape of a delay-discounting gradient because they allow us to isolate the effect of delay on value. For example, if at a 1 week delay and a maximum of $1,000, the indifference point is at $700 we know that, for that participant, a 1-week delay corresponds to a 30% reduction in value. This video outlines an adjusting amount delay-discounting task that identifies indifference points relatively quickly and is inexpensive and easy to administer. Once data have been collected, non-linear regression techniques are typically used to generate discounting curves. The steepness of the discounting curve reflects the degree of impulsive choice of a group or individual. These techniques have been used with a wide range of commodities and have identified populations that are relatively impulsive. For example, people with substance abuse problems discount delayed rewards more steeply than control participants. Although degree of discounting varies as a function of the commodity examined, discounting of one commodity correlates with discounting of other commodities, which suggests that discounting may be a persistent pattern of behavior(1).

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Friedel JE, DeHart WB, Madden GJ, Odum AL. Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: discounting of monetary and consumable outcomes in current and non-smokers. Psychopharmacology. 2014;231(23):4517–4526. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bickel WK, Odum AL, Madden GJ. Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: delay discounting in current, never, and ex-smokers. Psychopharmacology. 1999;146(4):447–454. - PubMed
    1. Rachlin H, Raineri A, Cross D. Subjective probability and delay. J Exp Anal Behav. 1991;55(2):233–244. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Addessi E, et al. Delay choice versus delay maintenance: Different measures of delayed gratification in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) J Comp Psychol. 2013;127(4):392–398. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Woolverton WL, Myerson J, Green L. Delay discounting of cocaine by rhesus monkeys. Exp Clin Psychopharm. 2007;15(3):238–244. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources