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Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
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Undervaluing delayed rewards explains adolescents' impulsivity in inter-temporal choice: an ERP study
Yunyun Huang1, Ping Hu1, Xueting Li1
1Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100875, China.
Scientific Reports
|February 16, 2017
Summary
Adolescents exhibit greater choice impulsivity than adults due to undervaluing delayed rewards. This is linked to a weaker neural response (feedback-related negativity) to delayed outcomes in adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Adolescence is often marked by increased choice impulsivity compared to adulthood.
- The control-integrated valuation model suggests age-related differences in reward processing contribute to this impulsivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in reward processing and inter-temporal choice between adolescents and adults.
- To test the hypothesis that adolescents undervalue delayed rewards more than adults.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral assessment using a delay discounting task (DDT) in 18 adolescents and 19 adults.
- Electrophysiological recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) during a monetary gain/loss valuation task (immediate vs. delayed).
Main Results:
- Adolescents demonstrated significantly higher choice impulsivity on the DDT compared to adults.
- Both groups showed similar neural responses to immediate rewards (feedback-related negativity - FRN).
- Adolescents exhibited a significantly smaller FRN effect for delayed rewards, indicating devaluation, compared to adults.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents' heightened impulsivity in inter-temporal choice is associated with a reduced neural valuation of delayed rewards.
- The diminished feedback-related negativity (FRN) effect for delayed outcomes in adolescents mediates their impulsive decision-making.
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