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Sex differences moderate decision making behaviour in high impulsive sensation seekers
Michael N Dretsch1, Jason Tipples
1University of Hull, Hull, UK. michael.dretsch@us.army.mil
Cognition & Emotion
|March 25, 2011
Summary
Individuals with high impulsive sensation seeking learn to make advantageous financial decisions faster. This insensitivity to loss can lead to greater financial gain, especially in males.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Decision-making under uncertainty is crucial for financial success.
- Impulsive sensation seeking (ISS) influences risk-taking behavior.
- Understanding how ISS affects advantageous decision-making is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if high ISS individuals learn to make advantageous choices in a decision-making task.
- To examine the role of sex in moderating this learning process.
Main Methods:
- 128 participants (73 female) completed a variant version of the Iowa Gambling Task (vIGT).
- The vIGT assesses the ability to choose decks with long-term profits despite immediate losses.
- Participants were categorized as high or low on impulsive sensation seeking.
Main Results:
- High ISS participants showed higher selection of profitable decks compared to low ISS participants.
- Learning to choose advantageously was influenced by participant sex.
- Male high ISS participants learned faster than females to select advantageous decks.
Conclusions:
- Insensitivity to immediate loss, driven by ISS, can facilitate financial gain.
- Sex moderates the relationship between ISS and advantageous decision-making.
- Findings support the hypothesis that impulsivity can lead to better financial outcomes in specific contexts.
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