1. Jay C. Brown Mackenzie Taylor Taylor Jackson
Temporal and Social Discounting Draw from the Same Cognitive Resource
Jay C. Brown
Mackenzie Taylor
Taylor Jackson
Temporal Discounting is Dependent on Commodity while Social Discounting is Not
Jay C. Brown
Taylor Jackson
Mackenzie Taylor

2. First: A Caveat
These two presentations draw from data collected in a single procedure and therefore share their methodology.
These two presentations have very different backgrounds, origins, results, and conclusions.
Therefore, the common methodology will be presented before diving into the two separate projects.

3. Temporal and Social Discounting
Temporal discounting refers to the loss of value of a reinforcement that is delayed in time (i.e. $20 received immediately has more current utility than $20 that is to be received in 5 years).
Social discounting refers to the loss of value of a reinforcement when it is given to someone else (i.e. most would feel more utility if they received $20 than if a friend of theirs received $20).

4. Imagine the following scenario
There is $1000 in a safety deposit box.
The box cannot be opened without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and the $1000 will be there.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if I gave you the key right now and the money was yours.
If you were told you would never receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

5. When the safety deposit box is opened, the money is yours
How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to you…
_100_ right now?
_____ tomorrow?
_____ in 2 days?
_____ in 3 days?
_____ in 4 days?
_____ in 5 days?
_____ in 7 days?
_____ in 10 days?
_____ in 15 days?
_____ in 20 days?
_____ in 25 days?
_____ in 30 days?
_____ in 45 days?
_____ in 60 days?
_____ in 90 days?
_____ in 180 days?
_____ in 270 days?
_____ in 1 year?
_____ in 2 years?
_____ in 5 years?
_____ in 10 years?
__0__ never?

6. Imagine the following scenario
You have made a list of the 100 people closest to you in the world ranging from your dearest friend or relative at position #1 to a mere acquaintance at #100. The person at #1 would be someone you know well and is your closest friend or relative. The person at #100 might be someone you recognize and encounter but perhaps you may not even know their name. You do not have to physically create the list—just imagine that you have done so.
There is $1000 in a safety deposit box.
The box cannot be opened without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and the $1000 will be there.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if you were given the key.
If you were told you no one on your list would ever receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

7. _____ person #1 on your list? _____ person #2 on your list?
If someone receives the key, it will open the safety deposit box immediately and the $1000 is theirs right now. How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to…
_100_ you?
_____ person #1 on your list?
_____ person #2 on your list?
_____ person #3 on your list?
_____ person #4 on your list?
_____ person #5 on your list?
_____ person #6 on your list?
_____ person #8 on your list?
_____ person #10 on your list?
_____ person #12 on your list?
_____ person #15 on your list?
_____ person #20 on your list?
_____ person #25 on your list?
_____ person #30 on your list?
_____ person #40 on your list?
_____ person #50 on your list?
_____ person #60 on your list?
_____ person #70 on your list?
_____ person #80 on your list?
_____ person #90 on your list?
_____ person #100 on your list?
__0__ no one on your list?

8. Imagine the following scenario
There is $20,000 in a safety deposit box.
The box cannot be opened without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and the $20,000 will be there.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if I gave you the key right now and the money was yours.
If you were told you would never receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

9. _100_ right now? _____ tomorrow? _____ in 2 days? _____ in 3 days?
When the safety deposit box is opened, the $20,000 is yours
How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to you…
_100_ right now?
_____ tomorrow?
_____ in 2 days?
_____ in 3 days?
_____ in 4 days?
_____ in 5 days?
_____ in 7 days?
_____ in 10 days?
_____ in 15 days?
_____ in 20 days?
_____ in 25 days?
_____ in 30 days?
_____ in 45 days?
_____ in 60 days?
_____ in 90 days?
_____ in 180 days?
_____ in 270 days?
_____ in 1 year?
_____ in 2 years?
_____ in 5 years?
_____ in 10 years?
__0__ never?

10. Imagine the following scenario
You have made a list of the 100 people closest to you in the world ranging from your dearest friend or relative at position #1 to a mere acquaintance at #100. The person at #1 would be someone you know well and is your closest friend or relative. The person at #100 might be someone you recognize and encounter but perhaps you may not even know their name. You do not have to physically create the list—just imagine that you have done so.
There is $20,000 in a safety deposit box.
The box cannot be opened without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and the $20,000 will be there.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if you were given the key.
If you were told you no one on your list would ever receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

11. If someone receives the key, it will open the safety deposit box immediately and the $20,000 is theirs right now. How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to…
_100_ you?
_____ person #1 on your list?
_____ person #2 on your list?
_____ person #3 on your list?
_____ person #4 on your list?
_____ person #5 on your list?
_____ person #6 on your list?
_____ person #8 on your list?
_____ person #10 on your list?
_____ person #12 on your list?
_____ person #15 on your list?
_____ person #20 on your list?
_____ person #25 on your list?
_____ person #30 on your list?
_____ person #40 on your list?
_____ person #50 on your list?
_____ person #60 on your list?
_____ person #70 on your list?
_____ person #80 on your list?
_____ person #90 on your list?
_____ person #100 on your list?
__0__ no one on your list?

12. Imagine the following scenario
You will be given a key to a brand new $20,000 car which will be yours to keep.
The car cannot be used without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and the brand new $20,000 car will be yours.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if I gave you the key to the car right now.
If you were told you would never receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

13. _100_ right now? _____ tomorrow? _____ in 2 days? _____ in 3 days?
When you receive the key, the brand new $20,000 car is yours
How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to you…
_100_ right now?
_____ tomorrow?
_____ in 2 days?
_____ in 3 days?
_____ in 4 days?
_____ in 5 days?
_____ in 7 days?
_____ in 10 days?
_____ in 15 days?
_____ in 20 days?
_____ in 25 days?
_____ in 30 days?
_____ in 45 days?
_____ in 60 days?
_____ in 90 days?
_____ in 180 days?
_____ in 270 days?
_____ in 1 year?
_____ in 2 years?
_____ in 5 years?
_____ in 10 years?
__0__ never?

14. Imagine the following scenario
You have made a list of the 100 people closest to you in the world ranging from your dearest friend or relative at position #1 to a mere acquaintance at #100. The person at #1 would be someone you know well and is your closest friend or relative. The person at #100 might be someone you recognize and encounter but perhaps you may not even know their name. You do not have to physically create the list—just imagine that you have done so.
There is a brand new $20,000 car.
The car cannot be used without the key.
It is a guarantee that the key will work and whoever has the key will receive the brand new $20,000 car.
Let a value of 100 represent how excited you would be if you were given the key.
If you were told you no one on your list would ever receive the key, you should report a value of 0 for excitement.
Make all judgments of the excitement you would feel based only on this scenario.

15. If someone receives the key, they will be able to take the brand new $20,000 car right now. How excited would you be right now if the key were to be given to…
_100_ you?
_____ person #1 on your list?
_____ person #2 on your list?
_____ person #3 on your list?
_____ person #4 on your list?
_____ person #5 on your list?
_____ person #6 on your list?
_____ person #8 on your list?
_____ person #10 on your list?
_____ person #12 on your list?
_____ person #15 on your list?
_____ person #20 on your list?
_____ person #25 on your list?
_____ person #30 on your list?
_____ person #40 on your list?
_____ person #50 on your list?
_____ person #60 on your list?
_____ person #70 on your list?
_____ person #80 on your list?
_____ person #90 on your list?
_____ person #100 on your list?
__0__ no one on your list?

16. Establishing a Discounting Rate
Temporal discounting is usually described using the following hyperbolic equation: 𝑉= 𝐴 (1+𝑘𝑑) where A = amount of reward, d = delay until receipt, and k = rate of discounting. >Social discounting may or may not be best described using this same equation, see Jones & Rachlin (2006). >For this study the discount rate was derived from the empirical curves using a measure called Area Under the Curve (AUC), see Myerson, Green, & Warusawitharana (2001).

17. Area Under the Curve (AUC) as a Measure of Discounting

18. Measuring AUC
*AUC was calculated for the temporal and social discounting for each individual participant (n = 143 to 270). *AUC was standardized such that a person demonstrating no discounting had an AUC = 1, and a person demonstrating total discounting would have an AUC = Lower AUC = faster rate of discounting.

19. Jay C. Brown Mackenzie Taylor Taylor Jackson
Temporal and Social Discounting Draw from the Same Cognitive Resource
Jay C. Brown
Mackenzie Taylor
Taylor Jackson

20. Temporal and Social Discounting should be related…..in theory
If we think of the human as existing at multiple points in time, we can talk about a present self and a series of future selves (i.e. my tomorrow self, my next week self, etc.) (Brown & Rachlin, 1999).
With this in mind, we can consider temporal discounting as a form of social discounting in which an individual receives more utility if their present self receives a reinforcer than if one of their future selves receives the same reinforcer.
If this is true, then both types of discounting should arise from the same cognitive resource and people’s rates of temporal and social discounting should be related.

21. Previous Research Has Shown:
Temporal discounting is a component of self-control.
Social discounting is a component of social-cooperation.
Current ongoing research is being done comparing people’s self-control and social- cooperation.
-Generally, these are VERY strongly related.

22. r(270) = .311, p < .001

23. r(143) = .272, p < .001

24. r(143) = .324, p < .001

25. Discussion
The results suggest that a single cognitive mechanism controls both temporal and social discounting.
In other words, the cognitive mechanism used to regulate decision-making about the self seems to also be used for decision-making involving others as well.
This relationship seems to hold despite changes in value ($1000 vs. $20,000) or commodity ($20,000 vs. $20,000 Car).
These robust findings imply that the cognitive mechanism that allows us to exhibit self-regulation (willpower) is also used for social-cooperation.

26. Temporal Discounting is Dependent on Commodity while Social Discounting is Not
Jay C. Brown
Taylor Jackson
Mackenzie Taylor

27. Previous Research Has Shown:
Does the magnitude of the reinforcer affect the rate of discounting?
Chapman and Winquist (1998) state “Decision makers show a larger subjective temporal discount rate for small magnitudes than for large ones. That is, they demand a larger percent increase in value to compensate for a delay when they are waiting for a small amount of money than for a large amount.”

28. Previous Research Has Shown:
Does the type of commodity involved influence the rate of discounting?
Charlton and Fantino (2008) showed that the rate of temporal discounting is dependent on commodity.
“the discount rate for different commodities lies along a continuum with those that serve an exchange function rather than a direct function (money) anchoring the low end and those that serve a direct metabolic function capping the high end (food, alcohol, drugs).”

29. Research question
Does the magnitude of the reinforcer or type of commodity affect social discounting rates?

30. $1000
$20000
$20000 Automobile
Temporal
M = .208
SE = .216
n = 143
M = .466
SE = .310
M = .316
SE = .270
Social
M = .334
SE = .202
M = .356
SE = .197
M = .339
SE = .221
Results
A 2 X 3 (Type of Discounting X Commodity) Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant interaction.
F(2, 284) = 36.29, p < .001

31. Results Planned comparisons revealed:
Significantly more temporal discounting for $1,000 (M = .208) than for $20,000 (M = .466), t(142) = -9.8, p < .001.
Significantly less temporal discounting for $20,000 (M = .466) than for a $20,000 automobile (M = .316), t(142) = 6.34, p < .001.
No significant difference in social discounting for $1,000 (M = .334) and $20,000 (M = .356), t(142) = -1.86, p > .05.
No significant difference in social discounting for $20,000 (M = .356) and a $20,000 automobile (M = .339), t(142) = -1.70, p > .05.

32. Discussion
As expected, both the magnitude of the amount and the type of commodity mattered for temporal discounting.
Neither a change in magnitude ($1,000 to $20,000) nor a change in type of commodity ($20,000 vs. $20,000 automobile) significantly impacted the rate of social discounting.

33. Discussion
Why does quantity and commodity matter for Temporal Discounting but not Social Discounting?
Outgroup Homogeneity Effect: Perception of outgroup members as more similar to one another than are ingroup members. Thus “they are alike; we are diverse.”
The ultimate ingroup, our present and future selves?
The mental representation of self is changeable, we can imagine differences in happiness for our future selves.
It would follow that the people our list of friends form some type of “outgroup”
The mental representation of others is relatively stable and unchanging.

34. References
Brown, J. C., & Rachlin, H. (1999). Self-control and social cooperation. Behavioural Processes, 47,
Chapman, G. B. & Winquist, J. R. (1998). The magnitude effect: Temporal discount rates and restaurant tips. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 5(1),
Charlton, S. R. & Fantino, E. (2008). Commodity specific rates of temporal discounting: Does metabolic function underlie differences in rates of discounting?, Behavioural Processes, 77(3),
Jones, B. & Rachlin, H. (2006). Social discounting. Psychological Science, 17(4),