Exploring the Reliability and Validity of the Experiential Discounting Task

Delay discounting (the devaluation of rewards delayed in time) has been studied extensively using animal models with psychophysical adjustment procedures. Similar procedures were soon developed to assess delay discounting in humans. Although across species the same mathematical function relates discounted value to imposed delay, several methodological concerns have been implicated in human delay discounting procedures. A procedure recently developed to address these concerns is the Experiential Discounting Task (EDT). This task arranges experienced delays and rewards that humans make decisions regarding—experiencing the outcomes of their choices within session before making additional choices. The popularity of this procedure has been fueled by reports of its sensitivity to acute experimental manipulation, and that it has been predictive of treatment success. Similar sensitivity results have not been found when a traditional delay discounting task (DDT) has been used. Though the EDT appears useful for a variety of reasons, it has not been subjected to the same rigorous internal validity and reliability tests that traditional DDTs have. In two experiments we examined the test-retest reliability of the EDT (Experiment 1) and the way in which choice trials are regulated (Experiment 2). Results demonstrate that the EDT is reliable across time and choice is insensitive to trial regulation differences. We conclude with a critique of the EDT as a procedure for assessing delay discounting and hypothesize other processes it may be measuring

Protocol of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a web-based information intervention with nurse-delivered telephone support for haematological cancer patients and their support persons

BACKGROUND: High rates of anxiety, depression and unmet needs are evident amongst haematological cancer patients undergoing treatment and their Support Persons. Psychosocial distress may be minimised by ensuring that patients are sufficiently involved in decision making, provided with tailored information and adequate preparation for potentially threatening procedures. To date, there are no published studies evaluating interventions designed to reduce psychosocial distress and unmet needs specifically in patients with haematological cancers and their Support Persons. This study will examine whether access to a web-based information tool and nurse-delivered telephone support reduces depression, anxiety and unmet information needs for haematological cancer patients and their Support Persons. METHODS/DESIGN: A non-blinded, parallel-group, multi-centre randomised controlled trial will be conducted to compare the effectiveness of a web-based information tool and nurse-delivered telephone support with usual care. Participants will be recruited from the haematology inpatient wards of five hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Lymphoblastic lymphoma (B or T cell), or Diffuse Large B-Cell lymphoma and their Support Persons will be eligible to participate. Patients and their Support Persons will be randomised as dyads. Participants allocated to the intervention will receive access to a tailored web-based tool that provides accurate, up-to-date and personalised information about: cancer and its causes; treatment options including treatment procedures information; complementary and alternative medicine; and available support. Patients and Support Persons will complete self-report measures of anxiety, depression and unmet needs at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-recruitment. Patient and Support Person outcomes will be assessed independently. DISCUSSION: This study will assess whether providing information and support using web-based and telephone support address the major psychosocial challenges faced by haematological patients and their Support Persons. The approach, if found to be effective, has potential to improve psychosocial outcomes for haematological and other cancer patients, reduce the complexity and burden of meeting patients’ psychosocial needs for health care providers with high potential for translation into clinical practice. .The study is funded by Cancer Institute New South Wales (10/THS/2-14). This research was also supported by a Strategic Research Partnership grant provided by Cancer Council New South Wales to the Newcastle Cancer Control Collaborative, and infrastructure funding from the Hunter Medical Research Institute. Dr. Jamie Bryant is supported by an Australian Research Council Post-Doctoral Industry Fellowship. A/Prof Christine Paul is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. Dr. Flora Tzelepis was supported by a Leukaemia Foundation of Australia and Cure Cancer Australia Foundation Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship

The Value of Working Compared to Gambling : Are College Students Risk Takers?

Color poster with text, image, and graph (Spring 2009)Pathological gambling, labeled a disorder by the American Psychological Association, is responsible for maladaptive consequences in over eighteen percent of the U.S. adult population. Given the limited understanding of the etiology of the disorder, there currently is a need for an experimental model of gambling. The goal of the present study is to validate a new gambling paradigm and achieve a more thorough understanding of the relationship between environmental factors (e.g., between income and the odds of success at gambling) that may contribute to the development and maintenance of gambling behavior.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Perceptions of Altruistic and Criminal Behavior

Color poster with texts and graphs (Spring 2009)There has been a recent resurgence of interest in the psychology of good and evil (Miller, 2005). While the study of altruistic behavior is primarily the domain of social psychologists, criminologists and psychopathologists focus on antisocial behavior, making theoretical synthesis and connections of the two constructs difficult. The present study sought to determine whether the same dispositional variables that govern perceptions of altruistic behavior (judgments of prosocial behavior) also govern perceptions of crime (judgments of antisocial behavior) despite the behaviors having distinct etiologies.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Discounting of Delayed and Probabilistic Rewards in Gambling and Non-Gambling College Students.

Color poster with text, tables, and graphs (Spring 2009)Individuals make decisions that involve delayed and/or uncertain outcomes on a daily basis. Previous research has found that instituting a delay to receiving a reward systematically decreases the subjective value of that reward. This current study seeks to determine the degree of discounting of losses of problem-gambling college students compared to matched controls.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Examining Temporal Discounting of Other Outcomes to Determine the Characteristics that Affect the Rate of Discounting

Color poster with text and graph.Individuals must make a vast amount of decisions every single day (e.g., what to wear, what to eat, what to do). Decisions are predictable when the alternatives differ in a single dimension (i.e., work for a job that has a large salary vs. a small salary, all else being equal). However, choices often involve outcomes that differ in multiple dimensions such as amount and delay (e.g., work a low-paying job right out of high school or receive a higher education for a higher-paying job in a few years). Currently, no research has examined temporal discounting of items with varying levels of exchange. While money can be exchanged for a wide variety of goods, gift cards/certificates can be exchanged for a limited range of goods. The current study examined the discounting of various items in order to further examine how the range of goods affect the rate of discounting.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program

A New Method for Quantifying Outcomes in Discounting.

Color poster with text and graphs describing research conducted by Rochelle R. Smits and Matthew H. Newquist, advised by Daniel D. Holt.Discounting has been defined as a decrease in the subjective value of an outcome as the delay to or uncertainty of receiving the outcome increases. Previous research has not quantified consumable and non-consumable outcomes in similar units. The purpose of the present study is to validate an approach to quantifying various rewards that allows for the comparison of qualitatively different rewards on a quantitatively similar scale.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Temporal Discounting of Various Gift Card Types.

Color poster with text and graphs (Spring 2009)Although several studies have examined how individuals discount various consumable outcomes, researchers have yet to compare various conditioned reinforcers (i.e. exchangeable for a variety of goods). The present study controls for the reinforcer type (using all conditioned reinforcers) in order to gain a greater understanding of rates of discounting of various outcomes (money, clothes, and food). The current study also extends previous research to include a non?consumable but non-conditioned outcome (clothes).University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs