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Updated: Feb 2, 2026
07:47
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
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Temporal Discounting and Search Habits: Evidence for a Task-Dependent Relationship
Mel W Khaw1, Ziang Li2, Michael Woodford3
1Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|November 30, 2018
Summary
Search strategy influences how people value future rewards. Comparing options between choices increases patience, while comparing within options leads to faster discounting and quicker decisions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Decision Science
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Prior research indicates search direction impacts valuation of delayed payoffs.
- Comparing options between choices may increase patience, while within-option search promotes impatience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between search strategies and temporal discounting.
- To test the robustness and specificity of search direction's effect on patience.
Main Methods:
- A novel choice task involving pairs of delayed payoffs was designed.
- Participants' search styles (integrators vs. comparators) were analyzed.
- The relationship between search style and temporal discounting rates was examined.
Main Results:
- A reversed relationship between search styles and temporal discounting was observed compared to prior studies.
- Integrators (within-alternative comparison) discounted and chose more slowly.
- Comparators (between-alternative comparison) exhibited different discounting and choice patterns.
Conclusions:
- Search strategy is a significant predictor of temporal discount rates.
- The observed relationship is influenced by the decision-making environment's spatial layout and information.
- Findings augment the understanding of how search processes shape intertemporal choices.
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