Moderate Stability among Delay, Probability, and Effort Discounting in Humans

Abstract

The stability of delay discounting across time has been well-established. However, limited research has examined the stability of probability discounting, and no studies of the stability of effort discounting are available. The present study assessed the steady-state characteristics of delay, probability, and effort discounting tasks across time with hypothetical rewards in humans, as well as whether response characteristics suggested a common discounting equation. Participants completed delay, probability, and effort discounting tasks on three occasions. We found moderate relative stability of delay and probability tasks, and similar evidence for absolute stability across time for all tasks. The interclass correlations coefficient showed some correspondence across time points and tasks, and higher levels of between subject variability, especially for the effort discounting task, suggesting trait level variables has a stronger influence on performance than state level variables. Performance on the delay and probability tasks were moderately correlated and similar mathematical functions fit choice patterns on both tasks (hyperbolic), suggesting that delay and probability discounting processes shared some common elements. Lower correlations and different function fits suggested that effort discounting involves more unique features.

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of test–retest reliability and stability of delay and probability discounting

“…We excluded articles if they involved reliability measures that were collected before and after an intervention or treatment context (given the suspected influence such interventions would have on captured test–retest reliability). Any discounting process was eligible for inclusion; however, only delay‐ and probability‐discounting studies were identified in more than one manuscript, allowing for meta‐analytic comparisons (one article, Escobar et al, 2023, evaluated effort‐discounting reliability in addition to delay and probability, but effort‐discounting reliability was not evaluated elsewhere). Figure 1 depicts the search and refinement process as outlined by PRISMA guidelines.…”

Adaptación de una tarea de descuento temporal con estímulos alimentarios

“…Para evaluar el DT comúnmente se presentan recompensas en pares de opciones que se entregan de inmediato o en un tiempo determinado en el futuro (Miller, Reed y Amlung, 2023), dichas recompensas pueden ser reales, potencialmente reales o hipotéticas (Scholten et al, 2019) y su objetivo es encontrar el punto de indiferencia o valor subjetivo, es decir el cambio de punto de elección del valor inmediato al retardado o viceversa (Miller et al, 2023). Con estos puntos de indiferencia se genera una curva con valores subjetivos para cada participante y se calcula una tasa de descuento que refleja el grado de impulsividad de quien resuelve la tarea (Escobar et al, 2023).…”

Multivariate analysis of multimodal brain structure predicts individual differences in risk and intertemporal preference

“…Risk preferences (i.e., the tendency to choose larger risky versus smaller certain rewards) and intertemporal preferences (i.e., the tendency to choose larger later versus smaller sooner rewards) are two moderately stable individual differences (Chuang & Schechter, 2015;Escobar et al, 2023;Hertwig et al, 2019;Mata et al, 2018;Meier & Sprenger, 2015;Seneca et al, 2012;Zeynep Enkavi et al, 2019) linked to important outcomes in life. Risk preferences have been associated with heavy drinking, smoking, being overweight/obese, seat belt non-use, not having insurance, holding stocks instead of treasury bills (Anderson & Mellor, 2008;Barsky et al, 1997;Lejuez et al, 2003Lejuez et al, , 2005; self-employment status (Ekelund et al, 2005), pathological gambling (Branas-Garza et al, 2007;Wiehler & Peters, 2015), and financial decisions (Noussair et al, 2014).…”