Iapr Technical Paper Series Stereotypes in Intertemporal Choice

Physicians’ recommendations often require prediction of patients’ intertemporal preferences. Towards the end of understanding the character of these predictions, we conduct laboratory experiments exploring the existence of stereotypes in intertemporal decision-making. Participants were asked to predict intertemporal decisions made by third parties described only by age and gender. We find evidence of significant age and gender stereotyping with respect to intertemporal preferences. Interestingly, gender stereotyping is asymmetric across gender of respondent, with members of each gender viewing themselves as more patient than members of the other gender. We discuss these results in light of evidence of asymmetries in how physicians provide recommendations based on a patient’s demographic characteristics.