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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Published on: January 9, 2016

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task.

Charles C J Frye¹, Ann Galizio¹, Jonathan E Friedel¹

¹Department of Psychology, Utah State University.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|January 19, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Delay discounting, the reduced value of delayed rewards, is measured using indifference points. An adjusting amount task efficiently identifies these points, revealing impulsive choice patterns.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Economics
Neuroeconomics
Decision Science

Background:

Delay discounting describes the devaluation of rewards with increasing delay.
Indifference points quantify this devaluation by finding equivalent subjective values for delayed vs. immediate rewards.
Understanding delay discounting is crucial for behavioral analysis and identifying impulsive tendencies.

Purpose of the Study:

To present an adjusting amount delay-discounting task for efficient indifference point identification.
To demonstrate a cost-effective and user-friendly method for assessing delay discounting.
To explore the relationship between delay discounting and impulsive choice.

Main Methods:

Utilizing an adjusting amount delay-discounting task to determine indifference points.
Employing non-linear regression to generate delay-discounting curves from collected data.
Comparing discounting curves across different participant groups and commodities.

Main Results:

The adjusting amount task effectively and efficiently identifies indifference points.
Steepness of the discounting curve correlates with the degree of impulsive choice.
Individuals with substance abuse problems exhibit steeper delay discounting than control groups.

Conclusions:

The adjusting amount task is a practical tool for measuring delay discounting and impulsive behavior.
Delay discounting appears to be a consistent behavioral pattern, even across different reward types.
This method has broad applicability in identifying and understanding populations with heightened impulsivity.