Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Discounting of Various Types of Rewards by Women with and Without Binge Eating Disorder: Evidence for General Rather Than Specific Differences

  • Article
  • Published:
The Psychological Record Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study compared the extent to which obese women with binge eating disorder (BED), obese women without BED, and controls discounted delayed and probabilistic money and directly consumable rewards: food, massage time, and preferred sedentary activity. Of special interest was whether the BED group differed from the other groups in terms of their discounting of all three types of directly consumable rewards or only in their discounting of food. Overall, the BED group tended to discount both delayed and probabilistic rewards of all types more steeply than the obese and control groups. Thus, rather than finding differences specific to particular types of rewards, we find that women with BED are generally more impatient when choices involve delayed rewards and more risk averse when they involve probabilistic rewards. These results suggest a temperamental difference associated with BED that cannot be accounted for by the concomitant obesity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AINSLIE, G. (1975). Specious reward: A behavioral theory of impulsiveness and impulse control. Psychological Bulletin, 82, 463–496.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2010). DSM-5 development: Eating disorders. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/EatingDisorders.aspx

    Google Scholar 

  • BAKER, F., JOHNSON, M. W., & BICKEL, W. K. (2003). Delay discounting in current and never-before cigarette smokers: Similarities and differences across commodity, sign, and magnitude. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 382–392.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • BARRATT, E. S., & PATTON, J. H. (1983). Impulsivity: Cognitive, behavioral and psychophysiological correlates. In M. Zuckerman (Ed.), Biological bases of sensation seeking, impulsivity and anxiety (pp. 77–116). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • CHARLTON, S. R., & FANTINO, E. (2008). Commodity specific rates of temporal discounting: Does metabolic function underlie differences in rates of discounting? Behavioural Processes, 77, 334–342.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • CLAES, L., VANDEREYCKEN, W., & VERTOMMEN, H. (2005). Impulsivity-related traits in eating disorder patients. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 739–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CLONINGER, C. R. (1987). A systematic method for clinical description and classification of personality variants: A proposal. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 573–588.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • COFFEY, S. F., GUDLESKI, G. D., SALADIN, M. E., & BRADY, K. T. (2003). Impulsivity and rapid discounting of delayed hypothetical rewards in cocaine-dependent individuals. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 11, 18–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • COLLES, S. L., DIXON, J. B., & O’BRIEN, P. E. (2008). Loss of control is central to psychological disturbance associated with binge eating disorder. Obesity, 16, 608–614.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • CREAN, J. P., DE WIT, H., & RICHARDS, J. B. (2000). Reward discounting as a measure of impulsive behavior in a psychiatric outpatient population. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 8, 155–162.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DAVIS, C., PATTE, K., CURTIS, C., & REID, C. (2010). Immediate pleasures and future consequences: A neuropsychological study of binge eating and obesity. Appetite, 54, 208–213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DE ZWAAN, M., MITCHELL, J. E., SEIM, H. C., SPECKER, S. M., PYLE, R. L., RAYMOND, N. C., & CROSBY, R. B. (1994). Eating related and general psychopathology in obese females with binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 15, 43–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DEROGATIS, L. R., & MELISARATOS, N. (1983). The Brief Symptom Inventory: An introductory report. Psychological Medicine, 13, 595–605.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DEVLIN, M. J., GOLDFEIN, J. A., PETKOVA, E., LIU, L., & WALSH, B. T. (2007). Cognitive behavioral therapy and fluoxetine for binge eating disorder: Two-year follow-up. Obesity, 15, 1702–1709.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DU, W., GREEN, L., & MYERSON, J. (2002). Cross-cultural comparisons of discounting delayed and probabilistic rewards. The Psychological Record, 52, 479–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EPSTEIN, L. H., & ROEMMICH, J. N. (2001). Reducing sedentary behavior: Role in modifying physical activity. Exercise & Sports Sciences Reviews, 29, 103–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ESTLE, S. J., GREEN, L., MYERSON, J., & HOLT, D. D. (2007). Discounting of monetary and directly consumable rewards. Psychological Science, 18, 58–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • EVENDEN, J. L. (1999). Varieties of impulsivity. Psychopharmacology, 146, 348–361.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • EYSENCK, H. J. (1993). The nature of impulsivity. In W. G. McCown, J. L. Johnson, & M. B. Shure (Eds.), The impulsive client: Theory, research, and treatment (pp. 57–70). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • FAIRBURN, C. G., & COOPER, Z. (1993). The eating disorder examination (12th ed.). In C. G. Fairburn & G. T. Wilson (Eds.), Binge eating: Nature, assessment, and treatment (pp. 317–355). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • FASSINO, S., LEOMBRUNI, P., PIERO, A., ABBATE-DAGA, G., AMIANTO, F., ROVERA, G., & GIACOMO-ROVERA, G. (2002). Temperament and character in obese women with and without binge eating disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 43, 431–437.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • GALANTI, K., GLUCK, M. E., & GELIEBTER, A. (2007). Test meal intake in obese binge eaters in relation to impulsivity and compulsivity. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 727–732.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • GREEN, L., & MYERSON, J. (2004). A discounting framework for choice with delayed and probabilistic rewards. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 769–792.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • GREEN, L., & MYERSON, J. (2010). Experimental and correlational analyses of delay and probability discounting. In G. J. Madden & W. K. Bickel (Eds.), Impulsivity: Theory, science, and neuroscience of discounting (pp. 67–92). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • HELMERS, K. F., YOUNG, S. N., & PIHL, R. O. (1995). Assessment of measures of impulsivity in healthy male volunteers. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 927–935.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HOFFMAN, W. F., MOORE, M., TEMPLIN, R., MCFARLAND, B., HITZEMANN, R. J., & MITCHELL, S. H. (2006). Neuropsychological function and delay discounting in methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Psychopharmacology, 188, 162–170.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • HUDSON, J. I., HIRIPI, E., POPE, H. G., JR., & KESSLER, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Biological Psychiatry, 61, 348–358.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • JIMURA, K., MYERSON, J., HILGARD, J., BRAVER, T. S., & GREEN, L. (2009). Are people really more patient than other animals? Evidence from human discounting of real liquid rewards. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16, 1071–1075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KIRBY, K. N., & FINCH, J. C. (2010). The hierarchical structure of self-reported impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 704–713.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • KIRBY, K. N. & PETRY, N. M. (2004). Heroin and cocaine abusers have higher discount rates for delayed rewards than alcoholics or non-drug-using controls. Addiction, 99, 461–471.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • KIRBY, K. N., Petry, N. M., & BICKEL, W. K. (1999). Heroin addicts have higher discount rates for delayed rewards than non-drug-using controls. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 128, 78–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KRISHNAN-SARIN, S., REYNOLDS, B., DUHIG, A. M., SMITH, A., Liss, T., Mcfetridge, A., Cavallo, D. A., Carroll, K. M., & POTENZA, M. N. (2007). Behavioral impulsivity predicts treatment outcome in a smoking cessation program for adolescent smokers. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 88, 79–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MARCUS, M. D. (1993). Binge eating in obesity. In C. G. Fairburn & G. T. Wilson (Eds.), Binge eating: Nature, assessment, and treatment (pp. 77–96). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • MITCHELL, J. E., Fields, H. L., D’esposito, M., & BOETTIGER, C. A. (2005). Impulsive responding in alcoholics. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 29, 2158–2169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MYERSON, J., GREEN, L., HANSON, J. S., HOLT, D. D., & ESTLE, S. J. (2003). Discounting delayed and probabilistic rewards: Processes and traits. Journal of Economic Psychology, 24, 619–635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MYERSON, J., GREEN, L., & WARUSAWITHARANA, M. (2001). Area under the curve as a measure of discounting. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 76, 235–243.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • NASSER, J. A., GLUCK, M. E., & GELIEBTER, A. (2004). Impulsivity and test meal intake in obese binge eating women. Appetite, 43, 303–307.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Heart Lung And Blood Institute. (1998). Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: The evidence report. Obesity Research, 6, 51S–209S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NEDERKOORN, C., SMULDERS, F. T. Y., HAVERMANS, R. C., ROEFS, A., & JANSEN, A. (2006). Impulsivity in obese women. Appetite, 47, 253–256.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • NOREEN, E. W. (1989). Computer-intensive methods for testing hypotheses: An introduction. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • ODUM, A. L., & RAINAUD, C. P. (2003). Discounting of delayed hypothetical money, alcohol, and food. Behavioural Processes, 64, 305–313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • PAGOTO, S., BODENLOS, J. S., KANTOR, L., GITKIND, M., CURTIN, C., & MA, Y. (2007). Association of major depression and binge eating disorder with weight loss in a clinical setting. Obesity, 15, 2557–2559.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • PATTON, J. H., STANFORD, M. S., & BARRATT, E. S. (1995). Factor structure of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 768–774.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • POPE, H. G., JR., LALONDE, J. K., PINDYCK, L. J., WALSH, B. T., BULIK, C. M., CROW, S., MCELROY, S. L., ROSENTHAL, N., & HUDSON, J. I. (2006). Binge eating disorder: A stable syndrome. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 2181–2183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RACHLIN, H. (1995). Self-control: Beyond commitment. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 18, 109–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RACHLIN, H., & GREEN, L. (1972). Commitment, choice and self-control. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 17, 15–22.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • RASMUSSEN, E. B., Lawyer, S. R., & REILLY, W. (2010). Percent body fat is related to delay and probability discounting for food in humans. Behavioural Processes, 83, 23–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RAYMOND, N. C., Neumeyer, B., Thuras, P., Weller, C. L., Eckert, E. D., Crow, S. J., & MITCHELL, J. E. (1999). Compulsive and impulsive traits in individuals with obese binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. Eating Disorders, 7, 299–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • REYNOLDS, B., Ortengren, A., Richards, J. B., & DE WIT, H. (2006). Dimensions of impulsive behavior: Personality and behavioral measures. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 305–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • REYNOLDS, B., PATAK, M., SHROFF, P., PENFOLD, R. B., MELANKO, S., & DUHIG, A. M. (2007). Laboratory and self-report assessments of impulsive behavior in adolescent daily smokers and nonsmokers. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 15, 264–271.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RIZVI, S. L., PETERSON, C. B., CROW, S. J., & AGRAS, W. S. (2000). Test-retest reliability of the eating disorder examination. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28, 311–316.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • SAFER, D. L., LIVELY, T. J., TELCH, C. F., & AGRAS, W. S. (2002). Predictors of relapse following successful dialectical behavior therapy for binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32, 155–163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WELLER, R. E., COOK, E. W.,III, AVSAR, K. B., & COX, J. E. (2008). Obese women show greater delay discounting than healthy-weight women. Appetite, 51, 563–569.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WHITESIDE, S. P., & LYNAM, D. R. (2001). The five factor model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 669–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHITESIDE, S. P., LYNAM, D. R., MILLER, J. D., & REYNOLDS, S. K. (2005). Validation of the Upps impulsive behaviour scale: A four-factor model of impulsivity. European Journal of Personality, 19, 559–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WILFLEY, D. E., SCHWARTZ, M. B., SPURRELL, E. B., & FAIRBURN, C. G. (2000). Using the eating disorder examination to identify the specific psychopathology of binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 259–269.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WILFLEY, D. E., WELCH, R. R., STEIN, R. I., SPURRELL, E. B., COHEN, L. R., Saelens, B. E., Dounchis, J. Z., Frank, M. A., Wiseman, C. V., & MATT, G. E. (2002). A randomized comparison of group cognitive-behavioral therapy and group interpersonal psychotherapy for the treatment of overweight individuals with binge-eating disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59, 713–721.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WILFLEY, D. E., WILSON, G. T., & AGRAS, W. S. (2003). The clinical significance of binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 34, S96–S106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WILSON, G. T., WILFLEY, D. E., AGRAS, W. S., & BRYSON, S. W. (2010). Psychological treatments of binge eating disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67, 94–101.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • WILSON, G. T. (2005). Psychological treatment of eating disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 439–465.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • YANOVSKI, S. Z., GORMALLY, J. F., LESER, M. S., GWIRTSMAN, H. E., & YANOVSKI, J. A. (1994). Binge eating disorder affects outcome of comprehensive very-low-calorie diet treatment. Obesity Research, 2, 205–211.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • YANOVSKI, S. Z., LEET, M., YANOVSKI, J. A., FLOOD, M., GOLD, P. W., KISSILEFF, H. R., & WALSH, B. T. (1992). Food selection and intake of obese women with binge eating disorder. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 56, 975–980.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • YOON, J. H., HIGGINS, S. T., HEIL, S. H., SUGARBAKER, R. J., THOMAS, C. S., & BADGER, G. J. (2007). Delay discounting predicts postpartum relapse to cigarette smoking among pregnant women. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 15, 176–186.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Washington University, Campus Box 1125, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Jamie L. Manwaring, Leonard Green, Joel Myerson, Michael J. Strube & Denise E. Wilfley

Authors
  1. Jamie L. Manwaring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Leonard Green
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joel Myerson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael J. Strube
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Denise E. Wilfley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jamie L. Manwaring.

Additional information

The research reported in this article is based on the doctoral thesis of the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral degree in psychology from Washington University. Portions of this work were presented at the Eating Disorder Research Society Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, October 2007, and at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference in San Diego, CA, March 2008.

This study was supported by National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant SES-0648516. Preparation of the manuscript was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant 055308 to the second and third authors and National Institute of Child Health and Development Grant R01HD36904, National Institute of Mental Health Grant 1K24MH070446-01, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Grant R03DK065757, and NIH Grants R01064153 and K24070446 to the fifth author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Manwaring, J.L., Green, L., Myerson, J. et al. Discounting of Various Types of Rewards by Women with and Without Binge Eating Disorder: Evidence for General Rather Than Specific Differences. Psychol Rec 61, 561–582 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395777

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395777

Key words

Search

Navigation