Temperament and the Discounting of Delayed and Probabilistic Rewards
Conjoining European and American Psychological Traditions
Abstract
The present study attempts to combine the more European tradition of studying temperament and individual differences with the more North American tradition of functionalism and behavior analysis by examining the relationship between several temperamental traits (sensation seeking, extraversion, and impulsivity) and discounting of delayed and probabilistic rewards. To evaluate discounting of delayed rewards, participants chose between hypothetical immediate monetary rewards and larger amounts that could be obtained after a specified delay. To evaluate discounting of probabilistic rewards, participants chose between monetary rewards that were certain and larger amounts that could be obtained with a specified probability.
Hyperbolic functions described well the discounting of both delayed and probabilistic rewards for all groups of participants. The rate at which delayed rewards were discounted was related to extraversion and impulsivity, but not to the sensation-seeking dimension. Both extraverts and high impulsive individuals showed higher temporal discounting rates than introverts and low impulsive individuals.
Differences in their subjective perception of time might account for the different rates of discounting between these groups. On the other hand, the rate at which probabilistic rewards were discounted did not differ between high and law impulsive participants, nor between introverts and extraverts. That temperament was related to differences in discounting of delayed but not probabilistic rewards in extraverts versus introverts and high versus low impulsive participants suggests that, although the same mathematical function describes both forms of discounting in all groups, delay and probability might not be functionally equivalent.
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