Time matters less when outcomes differ: uni-modal versus cross-modal comparisons in intertemporal choice

Cubitt, Robin P., McDonald, Rebecca and Read, Daniel (2018) Time matters less when outcomes differ: uni-modal versus cross-modal comparisons in intertemporal choice. Management Science, 64 (2). pp. 873-887. ISSN 1526-5501

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Abstract

Uni-modal intertemporal decisions involve comparing options of the same type (e.g. apples now versus apples later), and cross-modal decisions involve comparing options of different types (e.g. a car now versus a vacation later). As we explain, existing models of intertemporal choice do not allow time preference to depend on whether the comparisons to be made are uni-modal or cross-modal. We test this restriction in an experiment using the delayed-compensation method, a new extension of the standard method of eliciting intertemporal preferences that allows for assessment of time preference for non-monetary and discrete outcomes, as well as for both cross-modal and uni-modal comparisons. Participants were much more averse to delay for uni-modal than cross-modal decisions. We provide two potential explanations for this effect: one drawing on multi-attribute choice, the other drawing on construal level theory.

Item Type: Article
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economics
Identification Number: 10.1287/mnsc.2016.2613
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Cubitt, Professor Robin P.
Date Deposited: 04 Jul 2016 12:21
Last Modified: 29 Mar 2018 14:25
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/33412

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