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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Delayed rewards weaken human goal directed actions.
Omar David Perez1,2,3, Gonzalo P Urcelay4
1Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. omar.perez.r@uchile.cl.
Delaying feedback for goal-directed actions weakens their control. Delayed reinforcement reduces action rates and outcome sensitivity, suggesting a weaker action-outcome association crucial for goal-directed behavior.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Goal-directed actions depend on action-outcome associations and outcome value.
- Habituation diminishes sensitivity to these factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if delayed outcomes weaken sensitivity to outcome revaluation and reduce action rates.
- To test findings from animal studies in human participants.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments involving 290 participants.
- Participants made fictitious investments with immediate or delayed feedback.
- Outcome values were revaluated after training.
Main Results:
- Action rates were lower in the delayed feedback condition.
- Outcome revaluation effects were stronger with immediate feedback.
- Self-reported action-outcome knowledge was weaker with delayed feedback.
Conclusions:
- Delays in reinforcement weaken the action-outcome association.
- This weakening impacts goal-directed control.
- Findings align with contemporary theories of goal-directed behavior.
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