Beyond the Shadow of a Trait: Understanding Discounting Through Item-Level Analysis of Personality Scales

Abstract

Temporal discounting, the loss in perceived value associated with delayed outcomes, correlates with a number of personality measures, suggesting that an item-level analysis of trait measures might provide a more detailed understanding of discounting. The current report details two studies that investigate the utility of such an item-level analysis. Study 1 demonstrates that discount rates correlate with the overall score as well as with 11 individual items on the Total SelfControl Scale (TSCS). Study 2 demonstrates a correlation between discount rates and the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) scale, but not with a measure of general self-efficacy. An item-level analysis of the CFC found that the CFC-Immediate subscale and four individual items correlated with discount rates. Overall, these two studies sketch an initial picture of how item-level analyses of existing trait measures can better inform our understanding of discounting.