Analysis of Delay Discounting as a Psychological Measure of Sustainable Behavior

Abstract

As concerns regarding the current and future state of the planet continue to grow, the need to understand the behavioral mechanisms that underlie behaviors linked to large-scale delayed outcomes becomes more critical. Delay discounting refers to decline in the subjective value of stimuli as the delay-interval to access those stimuli increases. In this article, the relevance of delay discounting to issues of sustainability is explored, in addition to other relevant behavioral explanations of the issue. The research on delay discounting and related processes is summarized, specifically research that relates discounting and sustainability issues. Implications for behavior change and future research are discussed. Sustainability has been generally defined as behavior "…that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). There is a pressing challenge to increase sustainable development across realms of the environment, economy, and social/political landscape, as people all over the globe struggle with poor water quality, threat of natural disasters, extreme poverty, lack of access to quality food, education, and healthcare, and an ever-expanding population affecting the earth's natural resources (The Earth Institute, 2014). Underlying these sustainability issues is the impact of human behavior, including actions, inactions, communication, and decisions that have a direct effect on sustainability issues. These human behaviors include, but are not limited to, policy decisions by political leaders, production and resource allocation policies by businesses, and consumption patterns by consumers. Delay discounting, a measure of an individual's endorsement of long-term consequences as opposed to