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Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
05, 2020;113 (3): 657-679.

Delay discounting of different outcomes: Review and theory.

Amy L Odum, Ryan J Becker, Jeremy M Haynes, Ann Galizio, Charles C J Frye, Haylee Downey, Jonathan E Friedel, D M Perez
Author Information
  1. Amy L Odum: Utah State University.
  2. Ryan J Becker: Utah State University.
  3. Jeremy M Haynes: Utah State University.
  4. Ann Galizio: Utah State University.
  5. Charles C J Frye: Utah State University.
  6. Haylee Downey: Utah State University.
  7. Jonathan E Friedel: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ORCID
  8. D M Perez: Utah State University.
PMID: 32147840 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.589

Abstract

Steep delay discounting is characterized by a preference for small immediate outcomes relative to larger delayed outcomes and is predictive of drug abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and other maladaptive behaviors. Nancy M. Petry was a pioneer in delay discounting research who demonstrated that people discount delayed monetary gains less steeply than they discount substances with abuse liability. Subsequent research found steep discounting for not only drugs, but other nonmonetary outcomes such as food, sex, and health. In this systematic review, we evaluate the hypotheses proposed to explain differences in discounting as a function of the type of outcome and explore the trait- and state-like nature of delay discounting. We found overwhelming evidence for the state-like quality of delay discounting: Consistent with Petry and others' work, nonmonetary outcomes are discounted more steeply than monetary outcomes. We propose two hypotheses that together may account for this effect: Decreasing Future Preference and Decreasing Future Worth. We also found clear evidence that delay discounting has trait-like qualities: People who steeply discount monetary outcomes steeply discount nonmonetary outcomes as well. The implication is that changing delay discounting for one outcome could change discounting for other outcomes.

Keywords

commodity delay discounting domain temporal discounting trait

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Grants

  1. CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS

MeSH Term

Animals
Choice Behavior
Delay Discounting
Humans
Reward
Substance-Related Disorders
Journal Article Systematic Review
Article has an altmetric score of 17

Word Cloud

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