Examining relationships between delay and probability discounting and perceived stress in a high-income online sample

Previous studies have shown a positive association between perceived stress and delay discounting (DD; devaluation of a consequence as a function of its delay); individuals experiencing high levels of stress tend to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards. However, the link between perceived stress and DD may be confounded by their mutual and well-documented association with socioeconomic disadvantage (e.g., low income, scarcity). Moreover, few studies have examined the association between perceived stress and probability discounting (PD; devaluation of probabilistic outcomes), which is also reliably associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. To isolate the association between perceived stress, DD, and PD from socioeconomic disadvantage, the current study recruited a sample of US adults (N = 247) reporting minimal income constraints (i.e., household incomes ≥ $100,000/year) on Prolific, an online crowdsourcing platform. Participants completed DD and PD assessments for two separate reward magnitudes ($100 and $10,000), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a demographic questionnaire. In multiple regression, greater perceived stress was associated with higher DD rates for $100 (p < .05) and PD rates for $100 (p < .01); however, perceived stress was not significantly associated with DD or PD for $10,000. Thus, the association between perceived stress and both DD and PD appears independent of socioeconomic disadvantage, although our findings suggest that these associations are restricted to smaller reward magnitudes. Future research is needed to examine the association between these factors across varying populations, and how elevated stress levels may negatively impact real-world decision-making involving delay and uncertainty.