A Summary of Methods for Measuring Delay Discounting in Young Children

Delay discounting is a process hypothesized to underlie impulsive decision-making and is associated with a host of risky health behaviors, addictive behaviors, and psychiatric diagnoses. While delay discounting has primarily been studied in adult populations, these assessments have potential to facilitate early identification of impulsivity, particularly for children who are at risk for poor long-term outcomes. As a first step toward early identification of risk based on delay discounting, we reviewed the literature including pre-adolescent children to determine (a) for whom delay discounting has been assessed, (b) what assessment procedures have been used, and (c) how assessment parameters affect discounting estimates. Of the 21 identified studies, the majority of participants were children 7 years of age and older who were typically developing or had attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Hypothetical choices about money were most often used in assessments, although commodity magnitudes varied widely. Less than half of assessments included visual supports to aid comprehension of choice options. Effects of assessment parameters on delay discounting were largely unexplored. Future directions for research include identifying limits regarding for whom hypothetical money choice assessments produce interpretable and valid outcomes, as well as alternative assessment approaches or adaptations for children who may have difficulty understanding hypothetical constructs, money, delays, or some combination thereof.