A neural signature of the vividness of prospective thought is modulated by temporal proximity during intertemporal decision making

Why do people discount future rewards? Multiple theories in psychology argue that one reason is that future events are imagined less vividly than immediate events, thereby diminishing their perceived value. Here we provide neuroscientific evidence for this proposal. First, we construct a neural signature of the vividness of prospective thought, using an fMRI dataset where the vividness of imagined future events is orthogonal to their valence by design. Then, we apply this neural signature in two additional fMRI datasets, each using a different delay-discounting task, to show that neural measures of vividness decline as rewards are delayed farther into the future.

Automated summary

Multiple theories in psychology suggest that people discount future rewards because they imagine them less vividly than immediate events, thereby reducing their perceived value. This study provides neuroscientific evidence for this proposal, showing that neural measures of vividness decline as rewards are delayed farther into the future.