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...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2016-09-01
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Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://journal.sjdm.org/15/15616a/jdm15616a.pdf |
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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 |