Date of Award
8-1-2019
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Rehabilitation
First Advisor
Dixon, Mark
Abstract
The present study used a discounting task to evaluate how hypothetical treatment outcomes were discounter across successively greater probability values. Two discounting questionnaires were administered to thirty parents, half of which had a child with a disability. Delayed discounting of monetary rewards was assessed in relationship with probability discounting of hypothetical treatment outcomes. The questions on the probability discounting questionnaire consisted of asking participants to choose between a guaranteed percentage of symptom elimination or descending probability to eliminate all of their child’s symptoms. For example, “Which treatment outcome would you prefer for your child? (a) guaranteed elimination of 50% of symptoms or 30% chance to eliminate all symptoms.” Results showed a difference in the levels of discounting across the two groups of participants. Parents of children with disabilities discounted hypothetical monetary rewards more steeply while discounting hypothetical treatment outcomes less steeply compared to parents of children without disabilities. Exponential delay functions provided a strong fit for the monetary delayed function.
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