- David P Jarmolowicz: Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS 66045, United States. dpj@ku.edu
BACKGROUND: Research on delay discounting has expanded our understanding of substance dependence in many ways. Recently, orderly discounting of sexual rewards has been demonstrated in both substance-dependent individuals, and healthy controls. Less clear, however, is if rates of sexual discounting are higher than controls in alcohol-dependent-individuals.
METHODS: 20 alcohol-dependent individuals and 21 healthy control participants completed two delay-discounting tasks. One task involved monetary rewards, whereas the other involved the discounting of sexual rewards (i.e., number of sex acts).
RESULTS: Alcohol dependent individuals discounted sexual rewards at significantly higher rates than did controls. There was a trend toward, but not a similarly significant relation for the discounting of monetary rewards.
CONCLUSIONS: Rates of sexual discounting are elevated in alcohol dependent individuals. If this relation is replicated in other at risk populations, the rapid devaluation of sexual rewards may be a laboratory marker of impulsive sexual choices.