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Updated: May 1, 2026

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Contingency management voucher redemption as an indicator of delayed gratification
Jesse B Fletcher1, Rhodri Dierst-Davies2, Cathy J Reback3
1Friends Research Institute, Inc., Los Angeles, California.
Abstract:
This prospective analysis tested whether frequency of voucher redemptions during a contingency management (CM) substance use intervention was significantly associated with participants' ongoing substance use. Homeless, substance-dependent men who have sex with men (N=131) were randomized into either a "full" or "lite" voucher-based CM intervention. All participants earned vouchers for attendance and participation; participants in the CM-full condition also received vouchers for substance abstinence and enactment of prosocial and/or health-promoting behaviors. Multivariate longitudinal negative binomial regression analyses (n=118) assessed the association between substance use during the intervention and frequency of voucher redemptions. Participants who used methamphetamine (IRR=0.66; 95% CI=0.44-0.99) and/or opiates (IRR=0.60; 95% CI=0.40-0.99) during the intervention exhibited less time between voucher redemptions than individuals who achieved abstinence from these substances. Voucher redemption logs can be cost-effective and unobtrusive tools for measuring study participants' tendency to delay gratification.
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