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Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
07:47

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Published on: January 9, 2016

Delaying gratification depends on social trust.

Laura Michaelson1, Alejandro de la Vega, Christopher H Chatham

  • 1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA.

Frontiers in Psychology
|June 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Delaying gratification requires trusting the person offering the future reward. Lower perceived trustworthiness in characters led to less willingness to wait for delayed rewards.

Keywords:
cognitive processesdecision makingdelay of gratificationintertemporal choicesocial cognition

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Delaying gratification is crucial for life success.
  • Existing theories emphasize self-control and reward sensitivity.
  • The role of social trust in delayed gratification is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal impact of social trust on the willingness to delay gratification.
  • To determine if perceived trustworthiness influences choices between immediate and delayed rewards.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using hypothetical scenarios.
  • Participants evaluated character trustworthiness via vignettes and faces.
  • Choice tasks involved selecting between smaller immediate or larger delayed rewards.

Main Results:

  • Reduced willingness to wait for delayed rewards was observed with less trustworthy characters.
  • Perceived trustworthiness significantly predicted delayed gratification.
  • This effect was independent of self-control and reward history.

Conclusions:

  • Social trust plays a causal role in delaying gratification.
  • The findings necessitate revising prominent theories of delayed gratification.
  • Interventions for impulsivity may benefit from considering social trust.