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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Published on: January 9, 2016

Altruism, reciprocity, and probability: Examining relations through a discounting framework.

Natalie R Buddiga¹, Matthew L Locey²

¹Salve Regina University, Department of Psychology, 100 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, USA.

Behavioural Processes

|March 24, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study found that perceived altruism, influenced by probability and social distance, is strongly linked to reciprocal discounting. Understanding these factors is key to explaining cooperative choices and social behavior.

Keywords:

Altruism Choice Probability Reciprocation Social discounting

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Last Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

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Published on: August 25, 2023

Area of Science:

Behavioral Economics
Social Psychology
Decision Science

Background:

Altruism and cooperation are fundamental to social interactions.
Social discounting models how reward value decreases with social distance.
Reciprocal discounting has been proposed to measure perceived altruism from others.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between social, reciprocal, and probability discounting.
To examine the connection between standard social distance and reciprocal social distance.
To extend research on reciprocal discounting by incorporating probability discounting.

Main Methods:

129 participants completed tasks assessing social, reciprocal, and probability discounting.
Standard social distance and reciprocal social distance were measured.
Discount rates were analyzed for correlations and fit to hyperbolic functions.

Main Results:

Reciprocal discount rates fit a hyperbolic form, replicating previous findings.
Strong correlations were observed between social and reciprocal discount rates.
Moderate correlations were found between social and probability discount rates, and between reciprocal and probability discount rates.
Reward values showed greater correspondence at extreme social distances (Person 1 and Person 100) in reciprocal discounting.

Conclusions:

Reciprocation and probability significantly influence altruistic choices.
The study provides evidence for the interplay between social distance, probability, and reciprocal altruism.
Findings lay the groundwork for future research on the complexities of social distance in decision-making.