Delay Discounting and Preference Reversals by Cigarette Smokers.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Economics
• Addiction Research
• Psychology

Background:

• Relapse in smoking cessation is often viewed as a preference reversal, shifting from a larger-later reward (quitting) to a smaller-sooner reward (smoking).
• Delay discounting models predict preference reversals, but empirical human research directly linking discounting rates to preference reversals is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the rate of delay discounting and the occurrence of preference reversals in smokers.
• To establish a direct empirical link between delay discounting and the phenomenon of preference reversals in human smokers.

Main Methods:

• Forty-five smokers completed assessments of delay discounting for hypothetical monetary rewards ($50 and $1000).
• A novel preference reversal task was administered to determine the point at which participants would switch preferences.
• Participants were classified as high, moderate, or low discounters based on the preference reversal task, and delay discounting rates were compared across these groups.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in delay discounting rates were found between predicted high and low discounters for both reward magnitudes.
• Significant differences were also observed between predicted high and moderate discounters for the $1000 magnitude condition.
• Correlations between delay discounting and preference reversal among moderate discounters were in the predicted direction but not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the hypothesis that the rate of delay discounting is associated with the timing of preference reversals in smokers.
• This research provides empirical evidence for the role of delay discounting in understanding smoking relapse as a preference reversal.