Deprivation Has Inconsistent Effects on Delay Discounting: A Review.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral economics
• Psychology

Background:

• Delay discounting, the devaluation of future outcomes, is a key target for behavioral interventions.
• Understanding how states like deprivation influence delay discounting is crucial for intervention development.

Approach:

• This review synthesized 23 studies examining deprivation's effect on delay discounting across various types (sleep, drugs, food) in humans and animals.
• Effect sizes were calculated to quantify the difference in delay discounting between deprived and baseline states.
• A narrative review discussed findings, considering factors like deprivation type, intensity, and methodology.

Key Points:

• Deprivation's impact on delay discounting is inconsistent, varying significantly by deprivation type.
• Sleep deprivation showed small effects (Hedge's g: -0.21 to 0.07), while opiate deprivation showed large effects (Hedge's g: 0.42 to 1.72).
• Methodological factors and deprivation intensity may explain observed inconsistencies.

Conclusions:

• The impact of deprivation on delay discounting is not uniform and depends heavily on the specific type of deprivation.
• Further research is needed to clarify inconsistencies and establish a consensus on the effects of different deprivation states on delay discounting.