Effects of Choice Bundling on Valuation of Delayed Gains and Losses in Cigarette Smokers

Choice bundling, in which a single choice produces a series of repeating consequences, has been shown to increase valuation of delayed monetary and non-monetary gains. Interventions derived from this manipulation may be an effective method for mitigating the elevated delay discounting rates observed in cigarette smokers. No prior work, however, has investigated whether effects of choice bundling generalize to reward losses. In the present study, an online panel of cigarette smokers, recruited using Ipsos, will complete assessments for either monetary gains or losses (randomly assigned). In Step 1, participants will complete a delay-discounting task to establish Effective Delay 50 (ED50), or the delay required for a monetary outcome to lose half of its value. In Step 2, participants will complete three conditions of an adjusting-amount task, choosing between a smaller, sooner (SS) adjusting amount and a larger, later (LL) fixed amount. The bundle size (i.e., number of consequences) will be manipulated across conditions, where a single choice will produce either 1 (control), 3, or 9 consequences over time (ascending/descending order counterbalanced). The delay to the first LL amount in each condition, as well as the intervals between all additional SS and LL amounts (where applicable), will be set to individual participants' ED50 values from Step 1 to control for differences in discounting of gains and losses.

Inclusion criteria

• currently smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day
• have smoked at least 100 cigarettes (lifetime), and
• are 21 years of age or older.

Exclusion criteria

• Inaccurate identification of usual brand cigarette's as menthol or non-menthol