Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach

How do people make decisions between an immediate but small reward and a delayed but large one? The outcome of such decisions indicates that people discount rewards by their delay and hence these outcomes are well described by discounting functions. However, to understand irregular decisions and dys...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stefan Scherbaum, Simon Frisch, Susanne Leiberg, Steven J. Lade, Thomas Goschke, Maja Dshemuchadse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2016-09-01
Series:Judgment and Decision Making
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.sjdm.org/15/15616a/jdm15616a.pdf
_version_ 1797717318689619968
author Stefan Scherbaum
Simon Frisch
Susanne Leiberg
Steven J. Lade
Thomas Goschke
Maja Dshemuchadse
author_facet Stefan Scherbaum
Simon Frisch
Susanne Leiberg
Steven J. Lade
Thomas Goschke
Maja Dshemuchadse
author_sort Stefan Scherbaum
collection DOAJ
description How do people make decisions between an immediate but small reward and a delayed but large one? The outcome of such decisions indicates that people discount rewards by their delay and hence these outcomes are well described by discounting functions. However, to understand irregular decisions and dysfunctional behavior one needs models which describe how the process of making the decision unfolds dynamically over time: how do we reach a decision and how do sequential decisions influence one another? Here, we present an attractor model that integrates into and extends discounting functions through a description of the dynamics leading to a final choice outcome within a trial and across trials. To validate this model, we derive qualitative predictions for the intra-trial dynamics of single decisions and for the inter-trial dynamics of sequences of decisions that are unique to this type of model. We test these predictions in four experiments based on a dynamic delay discounting computer game where we study the intra-trial dynamics of single decisions via mouse tracking and the inter-trial dynamics of sequences of decisions via sequentially manipulated options. We discuss how integrating decision process dynamics within and across trials can increase our understanding of the processes underlying delay discounting decisions and, hence, complement our knowledge about decision outcomes.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T08:34:36Z
format Article
id doaj.art-2bfd14cf748745878a84f0f885aa41d7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1930-2975
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T08:34:36Z
publishDate 2016-09-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Judgment and Decision Making
spelling doaj.art-2bfd14cf748745878a84f0f885aa41d72023-09-02T17:18:34ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752016-09-01115472495Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approachStefan ScherbaumSimon FrischSusanne LeibergSteven J. LadeThomas GoschkeMaja DshemuchadseHow do people make decisions between an immediate but small reward and a delayed but large one? The outcome of such decisions indicates that people discount rewards by their delay and hence these outcomes are well described by discounting functions. However, to understand irregular decisions and dysfunctional behavior one needs models which describe how the process of making the decision unfolds dynamically over time: how do we reach a decision and how do sequential decisions influence one another? Here, we present an attractor model that integrates into and extends discounting functions through a description of the dynamics leading to a final choice outcome within a trial and across trials. To validate this model, we derive qualitative predictions for the intra-trial dynamics of single decisions and for the inter-trial dynamics of sequences of decisions that are unique to this type of model. We test these predictions in four experiments based on a dynamic delay discounting computer game where we study the intra-trial dynamics of single decisions via mouse tracking and the inter-trial dynamics of sequences of decisions via sequentially manipulated options. We discuss how integrating decision process dynamics within and across trials can increase our understanding of the processes underlying delay discounting decisions and, hence, complement our knowledge about decision outcomes.http://journal.sjdm.org/15/15616a/jdm15616a.pdfdecision making delay discounting process dynamics attractor dynamics mouse tracking hysteresis neural attractor modelNAKeywords
spellingShingle Stefan Scherbaum
Simon Frisch
Susanne Leiberg
Steven J. Lade
Thomas Goschke
Maja Dshemuchadse
Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
Judgment and Decision Making
decision making
delay discounting
process dynamics
attractor dynamics
mouse tracking
hysteresis
neural attractor modelNAKeywords
title Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
title_full Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
title_fullStr Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
title_full_unstemmed Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
title_short Process dynamics in delay discounting decisions: An attractor dynamics approach
title_sort process dynamics in delay discounting decisions an attractor dynamics approach
topic decision making
delay discounting
process dynamics
attractor dynamics
mouse tracking
hysteresis
neural attractor modelNAKeywords
url http://journal.sjdm.org/15/15616a/jdm15616a.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT stefanscherbaum processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach
AT simonfrisch processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach
AT susanneleiberg processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach
AT stevenjlade processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach
AT thomasgoschke processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach
AT majadshemuchadse processdynamicsindelaydiscountingdecisionsanattractordynamicsapproach