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Updated: May 26, 2026

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Relations among delay discounting, addictions, and money mismanagement: implications and future directions
Kristen R Hamilton1, Marc N Potenza
1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. kristen.hamilton@yale.edu
Background:
Delay discounting is a reduction in the subjective value of a delayed outcome. Elevated delay discounting is a type of impulsivity that is associated with harmful behaviors, including substance abuse and financial mismanagement.
Methods:
Elevated delay discounting as related to addiction and financial mismanagement was reviewed from psychological, neurobiological, and behavioral economic perspectives.
Results:
Addiction and financial mismanagement frequently co-occur, and elevated delay discounting may be a common mechanism contributing to both of these problematic behaviors.
Conclusions:
Future research on the relationships between delay discounting, substance abuse, and financial mismanagement can provide important insights for developing improved prevention and treatment strategies.
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