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Updated: May 16, 2026

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Sequential information preferences in uncertain decision making
Uma R Karmarkar1, John A Clithero2, Carolina Raffaelli1
1Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego.
Abstract:
Although decisions often appear instantaneous, they can unfold dynamically with sequential processing of different types of information. Prior research finds that the order of considering risks versus rewards in uncertain decisions can influence the perceived value of a financial prospect. However, it remains unclear which information people might choose to learn first for themselves. Across 11 preregistered experiments (N = 6,709 adult participants from in-person and online pools), we demonstrate that a majority of people prefer to consider risks before rewards. This preference is associated with individual sensitivity to economic ambiguity, but not a general need for structure. We further show that self-selected sequences are useful not only for predicting information-seeking behavior in financial and marketplace contexts but also for predicting downstream behavior in terms of choice process and choice outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
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