Haylee Downey

Psychology

Mentor: Dr. Amy Odum

Delay Discounting: Measurement Methods and Implications

People make choices every day, and some are easier to make than others. More money is better than less money for most people. It may be harder to determine what one would choose when given the option between a smaller sooner reward and a larger later reward. Behavior analysts study these types of choices with delay discounting tasks. The tendency for rewards to be devalued as they are presented farther into the future is referred to as delay discounting. Different people value rewards differently as time passes. A person who devalues rewards relatively quickly could be said to have more impulsivity than someone who devalues rewards relatively slowly. Faster rates of devaluing rewards have been associated with substance abuse, smoking, obesity, ADHD, and problematic gambling. Different methods have been proposed to try to decrease degree of discounting in individuals. The tasks used to measure degree of discounting have limitations. Accurately measuring degree of discounting is important, so I am currently developing a measurement method in the form of a computer game that will address concerns with current methods.