Anticipation of Reward and Risk Across the Lifespan

Stanford University, Stanford CA

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Increased life expectancies create a need for greater financial decision making on the part of individuals. Yet little research has examined how financial decision making changes over the course of the lifespan. We propose to investigate behavioral and neural responses during anticipation of financial reward and risk in young, middle-aged, and old samples. We will also examine the influence of incidental affective cues and cognitive load on financial risk taking in these groups. The proposed studies are guided by a neuroeconomic model of how anticipatory affect can influence financial risk taking. Findings promise to elucidate not only how the brain anticipates reward and risk, but also how this may change with age. [unreadable] [unreadable] Since people are living longer than ever before, they must increasingly make important decisions about their financial future -- yet little research has examined financial risk- taking, or how this behavior changes with age. We propose to use cutting edge brain imaging technology to examine predictors of financial risk taking in young, middle-aged, and older adults. The findings promise to illuminate how individuals make both optimal and suboptimal financial decisions over the course of the lifespan. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]