Delay discounting differences between gains and losses through the limits method

• Grant number: 23/04324-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: September 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Leyser Gonçalves
• Grantee: Luiz Felipe do Nascimento Pereira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The search proposes the study about choice behavior by delay discounting paradigm. This paradigm analyze how reinforcement or punishment stimulus delay affects choices between immediate or delayed consequences. Researches show that choices can be classified in different patterns. There are numerous experimental methods which have been used to assess this behavior. Some of these procedures use fixed sequences to assess the choices, while other procedures show adjustable alternatives by the participants choices. Furthermore, the most common is the using of immediate magnitudes smaller than the delayed ones, not being possible that the immediate magnitude be greater than the delayed magnitude. These procedures limitations unable free analysis of gain and loss situations, not being allowed greater variability on choices patterns. In order to overcome these limitations, a new method is proposed to assess the choices based on the psychophysics method of limits, in its up-down version. This method will allow to analyze the differences between gain and loss by the adjustment reversion determined by the participants choices and not by a predetermined magnitude. The data will be analyzed through a response pattern classification, using the valorization, discounting and stability definitions as unities of classification. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) will be analyzed. Therefore, gain and loss situations will be compared with the patterns and the AUC.