Dread and Temporal Discounting
Date
2022-08
Authors
Reyes, Emmanuel L.
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Abstract
Intertemporal choice revolves around weighing potential gains and losses when making
decisions based on outcomes that come at different points in time. An important
component of intertemporal choice is temporal discounting, the tendency to place more
value on immediate vs. later rewards. Much of the literature has focused on discounting
and delaying rewards as opposed to punishments or negative events. In addition, several
other personality traits may also be associated with temporal discounting, such as
neuroticism, extraversion, the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), and the behavioral
activation systems (BAS). The primary objective of this study was to clarify the
relationship between temporal discounting and negative events, specifically, dread. The
secondary objective was to examine whether individual differences the aforementioned
personality traits moderate the relationship between dread and temporal discounting.
Results showed that dread significantly predicted temporal discounting such that higher
dread was associated with a higher tendency to get negative events over with quicker.
Results from the moderation analyses revealed no significant interaction between
neuroticism/extraversion and dread. However, there was a significant interaction for both
the BIS/BAS Reward Responsiveness and dread such that, across higher levels of dread,
people with a stronger BIS as well as a stronger BAS Reward Responsiveness had a
higher tendency to delay negative events than those with lower BIS/BAS Reward
Responsiveness. Results from this study will contribute to the greater literature about temporal discounting and enhance our understanding of how emotional states affect
intertemporal choice.
Description
Keywords
Intertemporal choice, Dread, Temporal discounting, Neuroticism, Extraversion, BIS, BAS Reward Responsiveness
Citation
Reyes, E. L. (2022). <i>Dread and temporal discounting</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.