Operant Analysis of Self-Control

State University New York Stony Brook, Stony Brook NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): During the current grant period, using human subjects, my lab has developed and studied social discounting (relating it to both delay and probability discounting). Over the next five years I intend to continue to develop this measure, to incorporate it into a discounting surface including delay and probability discounting, and to study its correlates (with age, gender, cigarette smoking, genetic relatedness, religiosity). Also, during the current grant period, using both human and pigeon subjects, my lab has studied methods to enhance social cooperation in games such as prisoner's dilemma games, public goods games, ultimatum and dictator games. Assuming my social view of addiction is correct (that addicts are failing to cooperate with their future selves) such methods would be directly applicable to addiction. We have found that cooperation in these social games tends to correlate with degree of social discounting - the less cooperation (the more defection) the steeper the social discounting. Over the next grant period we intend to continue these studies focusing on methods to enhance cooperation. Based on the completed and proposed lab work, I will continue to develop the above theory of addiction, self-control, and social cooperation as well as its applications. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed experiments will study the relation between self-interest, social interest, and social cooperation. Their relevance to addiction, hence to national health, depends on a view of addicts as deficient in a form of social cooperativeness;addicts fail to cooperate with their future selves.