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Mastering Today by Envisioning Tomorrow: Rethinking Delayed Gratification Through Future-Oriented Thinking and Perceptual Rewards

Ivanic, Maja LU (2024) PSYP01 20241
Department of Psychology
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT) on delayed gratification using a perceptual reward paradigm. A total of 43 participants, aged 18 to 56, were recruited and asked to imagine scenarios under two conditions (EFT and control). The influence of these scenarios on the ability to delay gratification were examined in an intertemporal choice task, where photographs served as perceptual rewards. Participants chose to either view an occluded view of a photograph immediately or a full view of the photograph after a delay. The results indicated that participants rated the fully visible photographs as significantly more pleasant compared to the partially occluded photographs, suggesting the strong reward... (More)
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT) on delayed gratification using a perceptual reward paradigm. A total of 43 participants, aged 18 to 56, were recruited and asked to imagine scenarios under two conditions (EFT and control). The influence of these scenarios on the ability to delay gratification were examined in an intertemporal choice task, where photographs served as perceptual rewards. Participants chose to either view an occluded view of a photograph immediately or a full view of the photograph after a delay. The results indicated that participants rated the fully visible photographs as significantly more pleasant compared to the partially occluded photographs, suggesting the strong reward value of perceptual stimuli. Additionally, participants in the EFT condition were significantly more likely to delay gratification, opting to view the full photograph after a delay, compared to those in the control group. This tendency persisted in the EFT condition even as the level of occlusion and delay increased, suggesting that future-oriented thinking may potentially mitigate the preference for immediate, less rewarding options as they become less appealing. These findings underscore the effectiveness of using perceptual stimuli as a reward in studying delayed gratification and highlight the significant role of episodic future thinking in enhancing the ability to delay immediate rewards. (Less)
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author
Ivanic, Maja LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYP01 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
intertemporal decision-making, episodic future thinking, delayed gratification, perceptual rewards
language
English
id
9176588
date added to LUP
2024-10-16 10:09:34
date last changed
2024-10-16 10:09:34
@misc{9176588,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this study was to examine the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT) on delayed gratification using a perceptual reward paradigm. A total of 43 participants, aged 18 to 56, were recruited and asked to imagine scenarios under two conditions (EFT and control). The influence of these scenarios on the ability to delay gratification were examined in an intertemporal choice task, where photographs served as perceptual rewards. Participants chose to either view an occluded view of a photograph immediately or a full view of the photograph after a delay. The results indicated that participants rated the fully visible photographs as significantly more pleasant compared to the partially occluded photographs, suggesting the strong reward value of perceptual stimuli. Additionally, participants in the EFT condition were significantly more likely to delay gratification, opting to view the full photograph after a delay, compared to those in the control group. This tendency persisted in the EFT condition even as the level of occlusion and delay increased, suggesting that future-oriented thinking may potentially mitigate the preference for immediate, less rewarding options as they become less appealing. These findings underscore the effectiveness of using perceptual stimuli as a reward in studying delayed gratification and highlight the significant role of episodic future thinking in enhancing the ability to delay immediate rewards.}},
  author       = {{Ivanic, Maja}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Mastering Today by Envisioning Tomorrow: Rethinking Delayed Gratification Through Future-Oriented Thinking and Perceptual Rewards}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}