A majority of young children make choices consistent with hyperbolic discounting, preferring immediate over larger delayed rewards¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2019: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? More than 43 percent of children aged 5 to 16 made choices in line with hyperbolic discounting, and more than 25 percent chose options inconsistent with any type of rational behavior, with irrational choices less common among older children. → Adam M. Lavecchia 2014

Evidence¶

Adam M. Lavecchia 2014¶

Adam M. Lavecchia, Heidi Liu, and Philip Oreopoulos. (2014). Behavioral Economics of Education: Progress and Possibilities. NBER Working Paper No. 20609. http://www.nber.org/papers/w20609

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports, citing Bettinger and Slonim (2007), an experiment in which children chose between a $10 gift certificate distributed immediately and a larger amount (up to $25) in 2 months, picking the immediate reward; no effect size is printed.

"Bettinger and Slonim (2007) find that more than 43 percent of children (aged 5 to 16) in their sample made choices in line with hyperbolic discounting."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Adolescents classified as impatient are more likely to drop out of high school even when they state an intention to finish
• Early ability to delay gratification predicts later academic and social outcomes, but the association is weaker and more context-dependent than originally reported.
• Smartphone attachment is associated with impatience and impulsive behavior in young children, per cited literature — related