SS4 - Immediate effect of a single-session mindfulness intervention on delayed discounting
SCURS Disciplines
Psychology
Document Type
General Presentation (Oral)
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Delayed discounting (DD), the tendency to prefer smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed outcomes, reflects impulsive decision-making that may undermine long-term goals. In athletic contexts, such tendencies can negatively impact career-related decisions, such as playing through injury or prioritizing short-term gains over sustained performance. Mindfulness, defined as present-moment awareness with nonjudgmental acceptance, has been associated with improvements in executive functioning, attention, and emotional regulation. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), including the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach, aim to enhance emotional tolerance and value-directed behavior, potentially reducing impulsive choices driven by heightened affect. Prior research has demonstrated that extended mindfulness training can reduce impulsivity and alter discounting behaviors, particularly in addiction-related populations, however this preliminary study investigates whether a single ten-minute mindfulness intervention session can acutely reduce delayed discounting. Participants will be randomly selected students from psychology classes at The University of South Carolina Upstate. The control group will watch a 10-minute nature video, and the experimental group will complete 10 minutes of MAC guided mindfulness mediation. After completion they will complete a 27-item monetary delayed discounting task. We hypothesize that the experimental group will have a significant decrease in delayed discounting in comparison to the control group.
Keywords
delay discounting, mindfulness meditation, decision making
Start Date
10-4-2026 3:10 PM
Location
CASB 108
End Date
10-4-2026 3:25 PM
SS4 - Immediate effect of a single-session mindfulness intervention on delayed discounting
CASB 108
Delayed discounting (DD), the tendency to prefer smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed outcomes, reflects impulsive decision-making that may undermine long-term goals. In athletic contexts, such tendencies can negatively impact career-related decisions, such as playing through injury or prioritizing short-term gains over sustained performance. Mindfulness, defined as present-moment awareness with nonjudgmental acceptance, has been associated with improvements in executive functioning, attention, and emotional regulation. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), including the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach, aim to enhance emotional tolerance and value-directed behavior, potentially reducing impulsive choices driven by heightened affect. Prior research has demonstrated that extended mindfulness training can reduce impulsivity and alter discounting behaviors, particularly in addiction-related populations, however this preliminary study investigates whether a single ten-minute mindfulness intervention session can acutely reduce delayed discounting. Participants will be randomly selected students from psychology classes at The University of South Carolina Upstate. The control group will watch a 10-minute nature video, and the experimental group will complete 10 minutes of MAC guided mindfulness mediation. After completion they will complete a 27-item monetary delayed discounting task. We hypothesize that the experimental group will have a significant decrease in delayed discounting in comparison to the control group.