Do process simulations during episodic future thinking enhance the reduction of delay discounting for middle income participants and those living in poverty?

• Main Authors: Bickel, W.K (Author), Daniel, T.O (Author), Epstein, L.H (Author), Kilanowski, C. (Author), Koroschetz, J. (Author), O'Donnell, S. (Author), Otminski, A. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: John Wiley and Sons Ltd 2019
• Subjects: adult; article; clinical article; delay discounting; episodic future thinking; family income; female; human; human experiment; human tissue; male; middle income group; poverty; process model; process simulations; reward; thinking
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Two studies examined whether episodic future thinking (EFT; pre-experiencing future events) reduces discounting of future rewards (DD). No studies have investigated whether process simulations (i.e., simulating the process of executing a future event) amplify EFT's reduction of DD. Study 1 examined the effect of incorporating process simulations into EFT (N = 42, Mage = 43.27; 91% female, family income =    5,976) using a 2 × 2 factorial design with type of episodic thinking (process, nonprocess/general) and temporal perspective (EFT, episodic recent thinking) as between-subjects factors. Study 2 replicated Study 1 in a sample of adults living in poverty (N = 36; Mage = 38.44, 88% female; family income =    5,625). The results of both studies showed EFT reduced DD, but process-oriented EFT did not amplify the effect of EFT. Our findings suggest the key ingredient in EFT's effect on DD is self-projection into the future. This was also the first study to show EFT improves DD in a sample living in poverty. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.