TY - JOUR
T1 - Moderate Stability among Delay, Probability, and Effort Discounting in Humans
AU - Escobar, Gisel G.
AU - Morales-Chainé, Silvia
AU - Haynes, Jeremy M.
AU - Santoyo, Carlos
AU - Mitchell, Suzanne H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Delay discounting
KW - Effort discounting
KW - Mathematical functions
KW - Probability discounting
KW - Stability
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U2 - 10.1007/s40732-023-00537-1
DO - 10.1007/s40732-023-00537-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85148084181
SN - 0033-2933
VL - 73
SP - 149
EP - 162
JO - Psychological Record
JF - Psychological Record
IS - 2
ER -