Delay discounting is associated with substance use in college students

Abstract

This study investigated whether a measure of delay discounting was associated with substance use variables in a sample of college students. Participants ( N=47) completed a substance use survey and a delay-discounting measure that asked them to make a series of choices between a fixed amount of hypothetical money to be delivered immediately and a larger amount to be delivered after a range of delays. Discounting values were significantly associated with a number of substance use variables, most notably age of first alcohol use ( r=−.34; P<.05), age of first smoking ( r=−.51; P<.05), age of first marijuana use ( r=−.48; P<.05), number of times “passed out” from alcohol use ( r=.73; P<.01), and total number of illicit drugs used ( r=.32; P<.05). Individuals reporting more illicit drug use and younger ages of first use tend to discount the value of future hypothetical rewards more steeply than their peers.