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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Using a temporal discounting paradigm to measure decision-making and impulsivity following traumatic brain injury: a
1Department of Psychology, Brain Injury Research Group, University of Wales, Swansea, UK. l.mchugh@swansea.ac.uk
Primary Objective:
This study reports on a pilot study using a temporal discounting paradigm and a standardized impulsivity questionnaire to examine decision-making in a group of brain injured patients and age matched controls.
Methods And Procedures:
Participants were asked to choose between a larger reward available at a specified time in the future and smaller reward available immediately.
Outcome And Results:
Each of the two groups demonstrated temporal discounting; that is, the subjective value of the reward decreased with increasing delay. However, the TBI group discounted more than the controls, suggesting that their decision-making was more impulsive.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that a temporal discounting paradigm might be a useful method of assessing decision-making after head trauma, especially in cases where capacity to make decisions about financial awards is an issue or in respect of money management generally.
