title: Side Effects in Time Discounting Procedures: Fixed Alternatives Become the Reference Point.
abstract: Typical research on intertemporal choice utilizes a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) paradigm requiring participants to choose between a smaller sooner and larger later payoff. In the adjusting-amount procedure (AAP) one of the alternatives is fixed and the other is adjusted according to particular choices made by the participant. Such a method makes the alternatives unequal in status and is speculated to make the fixed alternative a reference point for choices, thereby affecting the decision made. The current study shows that fixing different alternatives in the AAP influences discount rates in intertemporal choices. Specifically, individuals' (N = 283) choices were affected to just the same extent by merely fixing an alternative as when choices were preceded by scenarios explicitly imposing reference points.
authors: Kozminski University, Centre for Economic Psychology and Decision Sciences, Jagiellonska 59, Warsaw 03-301, Poland.
authors: Przemysław
authors: P
authors: Sawicki
authors: Kozminski University, Centre for Economic Psychology and Decision Sciences, Jagiellonska 59, Warsaw 03-301, Poland.
authors: Michał
authors: M
authors: Białek
mesh_terms: D065786:Delay Discounting; D006801:Humans; D012201:Reward