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07:47
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Three-month stability of delay and probability discounting measures
Yu Ohmura1, Taiki Takahashi, Nozomi Kitamura
1Department of Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
|August 9, 2006
Summary
Delay and probability discounting measures show significant stability over three months. These findings suggest that discounting parameters are reliable for predicting future behaviors, including substance abuse.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral economics
- Psychopharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Discounting future rewards is linked to substance dependency.
- Long-term stability of discounting measures is not well understood.
- Clinical psychopharmacology relies on stable discounting measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the 3-month stability of delay and probability discounting.
- To assess both differential and absolute stability of discounting measures.
- To determine if discounting parameters can predict future behavior.
Main Methods:
- Compared indifference points over a 3-month period.
- Assessed 7 delay periods (1 week to 25 years) and 7 probability values (.95 to .05).
- Utilized undergraduate samples (n=22 for delay, n=18 for probability discounting).
Main Results:
- Standard delay and probability discounting parameters demonstrated both differential and absolute stability.
- Most indifference points in both tasks showed high stability.
- A hyperbolic function provided a better fit than an exponential function.
- Delay and probability discounting parameters were not significantly correlated.
Conclusions:
- Delay and probability discounting parameters are stable over 3 months.
- These stable parameters are suitable for predicting future behaviors, such as substance abuse.
- Findings support the use of these measures in clinical psychopharmacology.
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