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NCT Number: NCT07682727

Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Understand and Improve Financial Decision Making Among Vulnerable Older Adults (Discovery)

This study seeks to:

* Identify behavioral preference patterns that characterize older adults vulnerable to financial exploitation. * Estimate the extent to which biases in decision-making process influence financial decisions among older adults vulnerable to financial exploitation to refine information content and behavioral 'nudge' strategies.

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Key information

Conditions

Financial Exploitation of Older Adults

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Adults over the age of 60
English speakers, to ensure comprehension of study tasks

Exclusion criteria

Less than age 60
Non-English speaker

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Frequency of choosing the riskier option on the risk tolerance decision-making task

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making task (about 5-10 minutes)

Participants will complete a decision-making session that captures multiple dimensions of behavioral preferences via incentivized choice-based tasks with real monetary rewards. The study team will administer the following decision-making task via a web-based survey platform to characterize risk tolerance (willingness to accept uncertain outcomes). The task involves multiple rounds (between 20 to 40) that vary option-specific information to facilitate mapping of elicited behavioral responses onto parameters characterizing standard utility functions.
Frequency of choosing the more trusting option on the trust decision-making task

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making task (about 5-10 minutes)

Participants will complete a decision-making session that captures multiple dimensions of behavioral preferences via incentivized choice-based tasks with real monetary rewards. The study team will administer the following decision-making task via a web-based survey platform to characterize interpersonal trust (willingness to accept being vulnerable to other people). The task involves multiple rounds (between 20 to 40) that vary option-specific information to facilitate mapping of elicited behavioral responses onto parameters characterizing standard utility functions.
Frequency of choosing the more altruistic option on the altruism decision-making task

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making task (about 5-10 minutes)

Participants will complete a decision-making session that captures multiple dimensions of behavioral preferences via incentivized choice-based tasks with real monetary rewards. The study team will administer the following decision-making task via a web-based survey platform to characterize altruism (willingness to incur a financial cost to benefit another person). The task involves multiple rounds (between 20 to 40) that vary option-specific information to facilitate mapping of elicited behavioral responses onto parameters characterizing standard utility functions.
Frequency of choosing the more patient option on the impatience decision-making task

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making task (about 5-10 minutes)

Participants will complete a decision-making session that captures multiple dimensions of behavioral preferences via incentivized choice-based tasks with real monetary rewards. The study team will administer the following decision-making task via a web-based survey platform to characterize patience (willingness to forego a sooner reward for a bigger future reward). The task involves multiple rounds (between 20 to 40) that vary option-specific information to facilitate mapping of elicited behavioral responses onto parameters characterizing standard utility functions.
Frequency of choosing the less loss-averse option on the loss-aversion decision-making task

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making task (about 5-10 minutes)

Participants will complete a decision-making session that captures multiple dimensions of behavioral preferences via incentivized choice-based tasks with real monetary rewards. The study team will administer the following decision-making task via a web-based survey platform to characterize loss aversion (tendency to weigh potential losses more heavily than equivalent gains). The task involves multiple rounds (between 20 to 40) that vary option-specific information to facilitate mapping of elicited behavioral responses onto parameters characterizing standard utility functions.
Physiological arousal as measured via heart rate

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Participants recruited for in-lab sessions will complete the decision-making tasks while also sitting before a monitor with an eye-tracker to monitor attention, a webcam to monitor facial expressions, and with a wireless device (non-invasive transmitter placed on participant's wrist with two electrodes attached to finger) worn to monitor physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance) while completing the choice-based tasks.
Physiological arousal as measured via skin conductance

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Participants recruited for in-lab sessions will complete the decision-making tasks while also sitting before a monitor with an eye-tracker to monitor attention, a webcam to monitor facial expressions, and with a wireless device (non-invasive transmitter placed on participant's wrist with two electrodes attached to finger) worn to monitor physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance) while completing the choice-based tasks.
Physiological arousal as measured via pupil dilation

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Participants recruited for in-lab sessions will complete the decision-making tasks while also sitting before a monitor with an eye-tracker to monitor attention, a webcam to monitor facial expressions, and with a wireless device (non-invasive transmitter placed on participant's wrist with two electrodes attached to finger) worn to monitor physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance) while completing the choice-based tasks.
Frequency of facial expressions associated with valence and engagement

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Participants recruited for in-lab sessions will complete the decision-making tasks while also sitting before a monitor with an eye-tracker to monitor attention, a webcam to monitor facial expressions, and with a wireless device (non-invasive transmitter placed on participant's wrist with two electrodes attached to finger) worn to monitor physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance) while completing the choice-based tasks. Facial expressions will be assessed using a facial expression analysis system (iMotions software).
Attention as assessed by eye fixations

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Participants recruited for in-lab sessions will complete the decision-making tasks while also sitting before a monitor with an eye-tracker to monitor attention, a webcam to monitor facial expressions, and with a wireless device (non-invasive transmitter placed on participant's wrist with two electrodes attached to finger) worn to monitor physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance) while completing the choice-based tasks. Relative fixation duration on each option in the behavioral tasks will be measured via an eye tracker (SmartEye).

Secondary outcomes

Response time during the behavioral tasks

Time frame: During the time of the decision-making tasks (about 20-40 minutes)

Response time will be reported as the time from stimulus presentation to choice, in milliseconds.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Abdelaziz Alsharawy, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

(713) 500-9000

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Other

Collaborators

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Registry information

Official study title

Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Understand and Improve Financial Decision Making Among Vulnerable Older Adults

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Jul 6, 2026
Registry last updated: Jul 7, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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