Date of Award:
12-2022
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Psychology
Committee Chair(s)
Gregory J. Madden
Committee
Gregory J. Madden
Committee
Amy L. Odum
Committee
Katherine Brown
Committee
P. Raymond Joslyn
Committee
Christopher M. Warren
Abstract
Low effort tendencies are related to maladaptive proclivities. There is a lack of research on this topic, possibly because of a lack of a standardized effort discounting task. In addition to a lack of standard task, most effort discounting tasks do not control for the delay confound inherent to effort requirements. It is unknown whether the delay confound affects effort discounting. The aim of Experiment 1 was to develop a task for measuring effort discounting that might be used as a standard measure, and to evaluate the influence of the delay confound on effort discounting. The remainder of the dissertation aimed to test methods to improve effort-based decision-making. Episodic future thinking is one intervention which successfully improves decision-making. Experiment 2 examined the effects of episodic future thinking on effort discounting. In Experiment 3, a novel episodic effortful thinking exercise was tested as an intervention to improve effort-based decision-making.
Checksum
986f02b8f99bf6e8f8b5e2ea307ab6ea
Recommended Citation
Peck, Sara, "Assessing and Improving Effort-Based Decision-Making" (2022). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 8611.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8611
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