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Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Amasino, DR; Sullivan, NJ; Kranton, RE; Huettel, SA
Published in: Nature human behaviour
April 2019

Intertemporal choices involve trade-offs between the value of rewards and the delay before those rewards are experienced. Canonical intertemporal choice models such as hyperbolic discounting assume that reward amount and time until delivery are integrated within each option prior to comparison1,2. An alternative view posits that intertemporal choice reflects attribute-wise processes in which amount and time attributes are compared separately3-6. Here, we use multi-attribute drift diffusion modelling (DDM) to show that attribute-wise comparison represents the choice process better than option-wise comparison for intertemporal choice in a young adult population. We find that, while accumulation rates for amount and time information are uncorrelated, the difference between those rates predicts individual differences in patience. Moreover, patient individuals incorporate amount earlier than time into the decision process. Using eye tracking, we link these modelling results to attention, showing that patience results from a rapid, attribute-wise process that prioritizes amount over time information. Thus, we find converging evidence that distinct evaluation processes for amount and time determine intertemporal financial choices. Because intertemporal decisions in the lab have been linked to failures of patience ranging from insufficient saving to addiction7-13, understanding individual differences in the choice process is important for developing more effective interventions.

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Published In

Nature human behaviour

DOI

EISSN

2397-3374

ISSN

2397-3374

Publication Date

April 2019

Volume

3

Issue

4

Start / End Page

383 / 392

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Reward
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Male
  • Individuality
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Eye Movement Measurements
  • Delay Discounting
 

Citation

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Amasino, D. R., Sullivan, N. J., Kranton, R. E., & Huettel, S. A. (2019). Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(4), 383–392. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0537-2
Amasino, Dianna R., Nicolette J. Sullivan, Rachel E. Kranton, and Scott A. Huettel. “Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice.Nature Human Behaviour 3, no. 4 (April 2019): 383–92. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0537-2.
Amasino DR, Sullivan NJ, Kranton RE, Huettel SA. Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice. Nature human behaviour. 2019 Apr;3(4):383–92.
Amasino, Dianna R., et al. “Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice.Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 3, no. 4, Apr. 2019, pp. 383–92. Epmc, doi:10.1038/s41562-019-0537-2.
Amasino DR, Sullivan NJ, Kranton RE, Huettel SA. Amount and time exert independent influences on intertemporal choice. Nature human behaviour. 2019 Apr;3(4):383–392.

Published In

Nature human behaviour

DOI

EISSN

2397-3374

ISSN

2397-3374

Publication Date

April 2019

Volume

3

Issue

4

Start / End Page

383 / 392

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Reward
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Male
  • Individuality
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Eye Movement Measurements
  • Delay Discounting