title: Age differences in temporal discounting: the role of dispositional affect and anticipated emotions.
abstract: We examined age differences in temporal discounting, the tendency to devalue delayed outcomes relative to immediate ones, with particular emphasis on the role of affective responses. A life-span sample completed an incentive-compatible temporal discounting task involving both monetary gains and losses. Covariates included demographic characteristics, cognitive functioning, personality traits, affective responses, and subjective health. Advanced age was associated with a lower tendency to discount the future, but this effect reached statistical significance only for the discounting of delayed gains. An examination of covariates suggested that age effects were associated with age differences in mental health and affective responses rather than demographic or cognitive variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development.
authors.forename: Corinna E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Löckenhoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics.
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dunning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004644:Emotions; D005047:Etoposide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014888:Wechsler Scales; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D007069:Ifosfamide; D008727:Methotrexate