Cloninger’s Psychobiological Model of Temperament and the Discounting of Delayed and Effortful Outcomes Among Adolescents

The aim of the presented study was to investigate the relationship between Cloninger’s personality dimensions of temperament (Harm Avoidance, Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence, and Persistence) and rates of delay and effort discounting among adolescents. Generally speaking, discounting refers to a decrease in the subjective value of a reward as its delay (delay discounting), or an effort required to obtain the reward (effort discounting) increases. 198 adolescents participated in the experiment, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years. Data was collected using paper-and-pencil Junior Temperament and Character Inventory and computerized Delay and Effort Discounting Questionnaire. The analysis has indicated that the more one tries to avoid harm, the more steep his effort discounting is. The same is truth for reward dependency. At the same time, a positive correlation between the rate for effort and delay discounting was revealed. Thus, both processes cannot be treated completely separately.