Mark R. Dixon & Bethany Holton. (2009).
Altering the magnitude of delay discounting by pathological gamblers.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
42, 269-275.
The present study explored the delay discounting of future and
past monetary rewards by pathological gamblers. Using a multiple
baseline design, following repeated exposure to choices between
smaller immediate and larger delayed consequences, participants
completed a relational responding task that attempted to alter the
psychological functions of irrelevant stimuli and to affect subsequent
delay discounting. Results support previous literature on the discounting
of delayed consequences by pathological gamblers, illustrate that the
discounting of past rewards occurs in a similar fashion to the
well–documented literature on the discounting of future rewards,
and that magnitude of discounting can be altered.
DESCRIPTORS: addiction, choice, delay discounting, pathological gambling, self-control