Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: Discounting of Delayed and Probabilistic Rewards Among Women With and Without Binge Eating Disorder

Washington University School Of Medicine, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

Discounting of Delayed and Probabilistic Rewards by Women with and without Binge Eating Disorder Most people would prefer $30 today over $40 in a year- a tendency referred to as delay discounting. Most people would also prefer $30 for sure over $40 with a 25% chance. This tendency is referred to as probability discounting. Theorists have proposed that a the tendency for certain people to exhibit impulsive behaviors and behaviors that appear to result from loss of self control while others don't may stem from differences in the way people discount. This study tests this proposition in the context of a specific type of impulsive behavior: binge eating. Binge eating -- eating an unambiguously large amount of food accompanied by a sense of loss of control -- is a hallmark of binge-eating disorder (BED). The present study will compare the rates at which delayed and probabilistic food, money, and sedentary behavior are discounted by obese women with BED, obese women without BED, and normal-weight controls. Differences among the groups in rates of discounting may indicate differences in impulsivity and self control and have implications for the treatment of binge eating and obesity, as well as for understanding decision making more generally.