The role of social value orientation on delay discounting in a group context

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 187; p. 111401
• Main Authors: Roth, Michelle R., Loya, Jennifer M., Yi, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Classification; Competitors; Delay discounting; Delayed; Discounting; Game theory; Group context; Individual differences; Social value orientation; Value orientations; Social value orientation; Group context; Delay discounting
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111401

Two studies examined the role of social value orientation (SVO) on group-context delay discounting (GDD). SVO classifications were determined from responses on the Decomposed Prisoner's Dilemma game. GDD was assessed with a version of the Monetary Choice Questionnaire, where participants indicated preference between immediate and delayed hypothetical monetary rewards for themselves and an “Other.” Study 1 compared GDD among the three SVO classifications. Results found that Competitors had the highest rate of GDD with no difference between Prosocials and Individualists (ηp2 = 0.0488). Given unbalanced distribution of SVO classifications, Study 2 incorporated valence (e.g., like versus dislike) as a factor for the “Other” in the SVO and GDD tasks. Having a “disliked Other” in the SVO task resulted in a more equal distribution across SVO classifications, and comparison of GDD between these groups replicated the finding from Study 1 that Competitors exhibited higher GDD compared to Prosocials (ηp2 = 0.0193). Overall, these findings suggest that SVO is an important individual-level factor that moderates the impact of group context on delay discounting. •SVO may moderate the effect of group context on delay discounting.•Prosocials exhibited lower group context DD compared to competitors.•SVO should inform group context strategies that might impact DD.