THE IMPACT OF OUTCOMES FOR OTHERS ON INDIVIDUAL CHOICE: COMBINED DELAY, PROBABILISTIC, AND SOCIAL DISCOUNTING

Author

Alan Mark Franklin, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2022

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Jacobs, Eric

Abstract

This dissertation examined the combination of delay, probabilistic and social discounting tasks in comparison to standard delay and social discounting tasks. Specifically, participants made repeated choices between amounts of money for themselves or for a significant other of varying degrees of closeness (e.g., a close relative versus a stranger). In Experiment 1, the delay for the significant other to receive the money was manipulated across conditions. In Experiment 2, the delay for the participant to receive the money was manipulated across conditions. In Experiment 3, the probability of the significant other receiving the money was manipulated across conditions. In Experiment 4, the probability of the participant receiving the money was manipulated across conditions. Participants were recruited from MTurk and completed either a standard delay or probabilistic discounting task, followed by a social discounting task, along with a combined version of two discounting tasks they had previously completed. Within-subjects analysis was used to determine if there was a significant difference between the combined tasks and their baseline versions. Indifference points on social discounting curves decreased as a function of the delay to the significant other receiving the money in Experiment 1, while the indifference points on social discounting curves increased as a function of delay to the participant receiving money in Experiment 2. In addition, indifference points on social discounting curves decreased as a function of the odds against the significant other receiving the money increasing in Experiment 3, while the indifference points on social discounting curves increased as a function of odds against the participant receiving money increased in Experiment 4. Thus, adding a delay or probability to the significant other receiving the money increased the severity of discounting in a social discounting task, however, participants reported higher indifference points when delay or probability was added the participant receiving the money. The results of this study indicate that in more complex scenarios people consider multiple factors when making decisions.