The Influence of Episodic Future Thinking on Intertemporal Decision-Making in Abstinent Heroin Users

Abstract

Abstract: A large number of studies have found that heroin addicts have intertemporal decision-making defects. They tend to prefer immediate over future rewards in intertemporal decision-making. However, few studies have explored the influence of episodic future thinking on intertemporal decision-making in heroin users. In this study, we used a monetary delay discounting task and a cross-commodity delay discounting task to explore the impact of episodic future thinking on delay discounting in abstinent heroin users. The results of experiment 1 showed that abstinent heroin users had smaller AUC values (steeper delayed discounting) for money than those in the control group during the pre-test. However, there was no significant difference in AUC values between two groups after episodic future thinking. Moreover, the AUC difference score under two conditions in abstinent heroin users was significantly larger than that in the control group. The results of experiment 2 showed that the AUC values in cross-commodity delay discounting task was significantly increased after episodic future thinking in abstinent heroin users. These results suggest that episodic future thinking can improve intertemporal decision-making performance in abstinent heroin users. Therefore, episodic future thinking can be applied to the targeted therapy for intertemporal decision-making defects in heroin users.

Key words: intertemporal decision-making, episodic future thinking, abstinent heroin users

摘要： 大量研究发现海洛因成瘾者在跨期决策中更加偏好即时奖赏，对延迟奖赏具有更高的延迟折扣率。本研究采用延迟折扣任务探讨了未来情景想象对海洛因戒断者跨期决策的影响。实验1结果发现，前测中海洛因戒断组在金钱延迟折扣任务中的曲线下面积（the areas under the curve, AUC）显著小于对照组，而未来情景想象后两组被试的AUC值没有显著差异。而且海洛因戒断组在两种条件的AUC差值显著大于对照组。实验2结果发现，海洛因戒断组在前测的跨类别延迟折扣任务中的AUC值显著小于其未来情景想象后的AUC值。鉴于未来情景想象可以改善海洛因戒断者的跨期决策表现，今后可采用未来情景想象展开针对海洛因成瘾者跨期决策的靶向干预，降低海洛因成瘾者复吸的风险。

关键词: 跨期决策, 未来情景想象, 海洛因戒断者

CLC Number:

B849

YANG Ling, YANG Xiaohui, ZHANG Liyuan, LI Yun, CAO Hua, ZHANG Jianxun. The Influence of Episodic Future Thinking on Intertemporal Decision-Making in Abstinent Heroin Users[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2021, 19(4): 535-541.

杨玲, 杨晓惠, 张莉媛, 李赟, 曹华, 张建勋. 未来情景想象对海洛因戒断者跨期决策的影响[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2021, 19(4): 535-541.

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