Testing the latent structure of a measure of delay of gratification
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Michael Bixter
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 1:00 PM
Description
Many important life decisions involve the trade-off between immediate gratification and long-term outcomes. An inability to delay gratification is associated with a variety of maladaptive life outcomes (e.g., addiction, poor academic performance, undersaving for retirement). In the judgment and decision-making literature, delay of gratification is usually operationalized as the construct called delayed discounting. This construct is often measured by having participants make a series of choices between smaller rewards that are received immediately (e.g., $40 now) or a larger reward to be received in the future (e.g., $75 in 1 month). Though often used and predictive of maladaptive outcomes listed above, questions remain about the reliability and validity of these discounting tasks. In the current study, we used a latent variable approach to measure the factor structure of a series of monetary discounting items. The items varied in magnitude as well as temporal frame (whether the reward is being delayed in the future or expedited to the present). Utilizing a large sample (e.g., approximately 500 participants), we found good or excellent fit for a multifactor structure on a series of global model fit indices (CFI = .96, RMSEA = .095, SRMR = .035). Specifically, both temporal frame and reward magnitude loaded onto separate correlated factors. These results demonstrate the internal validity and utility of using these discounting items, but show it is important to take into consideration reward characteristics such as temporal frame or magnitude. The current study also included other psychological and behavioral constructs, including academic procrastination, alcohol use, and goal setting. The latent associations with these constructs are being explored and will be included in the presentation at the symposium. A second large sample is also currently being collected to replicate and cross-validate the above results in a new sample.
Testing the latent structure of a measure of delay of gratification
Many important life decisions involve the trade-off between immediate gratification and long-term outcomes. An inability to delay gratification is associated with a variety of maladaptive life outcomes (e.g., addiction, poor academic performance, undersaving for retirement). In the judgment and decision-making literature, delay of gratification is usually operationalized as the construct called delayed discounting. This construct is often measured by having participants make a series of choices between smaller rewards that are received immediately (e.g., $40 now) or a larger reward to be received in the future (e.g., $75 in 1 month). Though often used and predictive of maladaptive outcomes listed above, questions remain about the reliability and validity of these discounting tasks. In the current study, we used a latent variable approach to measure the factor structure of a series of monetary discounting items. The items varied in magnitude as well as temporal frame (whether the reward is being delayed in the future or expedited to the present). Utilizing a large sample (e.g., approximately 500 participants), we found good or excellent fit for a multifactor structure on a series of global model fit indices (CFI = .96, RMSEA = .095, SRMR = .035). Specifically, both temporal frame and reward magnitude loaded onto separate correlated factors. These results demonstrate the internal validity and utility of using these discounting items, but show it is important to take into consideration reward characteristics such as temporal frame or magnitude. The current study also included other psychological and behavioral constructs, including academic procrastination, alcohol use, and goal setting. The latent associations with these constructs are being explored and will be included in the presentation at the symposium. A second large sample is also currently being collected to replicate and cross-validate the above results in a new sample.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.