Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
07:47
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Reviewing and piloting methods for decreasing discount rates; someone, somewhere in time
Mehraj B Y Parouty1, Daan G M Krooshof, Tjalke A Westra
1Unit of PharmacoEpidemiology & PharmacoEconomics, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research
|August 28, 2013
Summary
This study explored time preferences for money and health gains among Dutch students. Findings indicate a negative relationship between delay time and discounting rate variance, informing future economic evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Decision Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Economic evaluations often use discounting to value future outcomes.
- Debate exists on whether discounting rates should differ for monetary versus health gains.
- Eliciting time preferences is crucial for understanding discounting needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing methods for eliciting time preferences for monetary and health gains.
- To pilot these methods using a survey on Dutch university students.
- To investigate the perceived time preference for money and health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Pilot survey administered to a convenience sample of Dutch university students.
- Utilized functional forms previously suggested for time preference elicitation.
- Developed a specific questionnaire for this purpose.
Main Results:
- Observed a negative relationship between the time of delay and the variance of the discounting rate across all models.
- Pilot study provided insights into questionnaire wording and interpretation.
- Identified potential scope and analytic frameworks for larger investigations.
Conclusions:
- The pilot study successfully piloted methods for eliciting time preferences.
- Findings suggest a consistent pattern in how delay affects discounting variance.
- Results lay groundwork for a large-scale population-based study on time preferences in economic evaluations.
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