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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

High monetary reward rates and caloric rewards decrease temporal persistence.

Bowen J Fung^1,2, Stefan Bode³, Carsten Murawski²

¹Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia bowen.fung@unimelb.edu.au.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|February 24, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Higher reward rates and caloric intake decrease patience. This study on temporal persistence shows that immediate gratification, whether monetary or caloric, reduces an individual's willingness to wait for future rewards.

Keywords:

energy budget rule foraging impulsivity interval timing opportunity cost reward

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Last Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

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Published on: June 5, 2016

Area of Science:

Behavioral Economics
Neuroscience
Decision Science

Background:

Temporal persistence, the ability to delay gratification for future rewards, is vital for survival and decision-making.
Theoretical models predict that high reward rates or positive energy balance reduce temporal persistence.
Understanding factors influencing temporal persistence is crucial for various real-world scenarios, including dietary choices.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of reward rate and caloric intake on temporal persistence.
To test predictions from theoretical models regarding factors influencing delayed gratification.
To quantify the trade-off between immediate rewards and opportunity costs in decision-making.

Main Methods:

Fifty fasted participants completed a temporal persistence task with monetary incentives.
Reward delivery delays were varied using low and high maximum reward rate distributions.
Participants consumed either a caloric drink or water during task blocks.
Survival analysis was employed to model the probability of quitting.

Main Results:

Participants exhibited a higher probability of quitting when faced with higher monetary reward rates.
Consuming a caloric drink significantly increased the probability of quitting compared to water.
Results align with theoretical predictions regarding reward rate and energy balance.

Conclusions:

Both increased monetary reward rates and the consumption of physiologically relevant rewards (caloric intake) decrease temporal persistence.
These findings highlight the influence of immediate rewards on delayed gratification, with implications for behavior and survival.
The study provides empirical support for theoretical models of decision-making under conditions of varying reward availability.