Differences in delay discounting between smokers and nonsmokers remain when both rewards are delayed

Area of Science:

• Behavioral economics
• Neuroscience of addiction
• Psychology of decision-making

Background:

• Smokers exhibit heightened delay discounting, preferring smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones more than nonsmokers.
• This suggests smokers devalue future rewards more significantly than the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the observed group difference in delay discounting is solely due to smokers overvaluing immediate rewards.
• To investigate if the smoker-nonsmoker difference in reward valuation persists when both reward options are delayed.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted comparing smokers and nonsmokers.
• Participants made choices between immediate/soon and delayed rewards, using both real and hypothetical monetary incentives.

Main Results:

• Hyperbolic and double exponential models confirmed smokers discount delayed rewards more than nonsmokers, particularly when one option is immediate.
• The discounting difference between smokers and nonsmokers was observed even with a slight delay, notably in male smokers.
• This smoker-nonsmoker difference diminished significantly for potentially real rewards when the smaller reward was delayed.

Conclusions:

• The tendency for smokers to discount delayed rewards is not limited to scenarios with immediate options.
• Factors such as reward type (real vs. hypothetical) and gender significantly influence the relationship between smoking and delay discounting.
• Understanding these nuances is crucial for developing targeted interventions for smoking cessation.