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BIS impulsivity and acute nicotine exposure are associated with discounting global consequences in the Harvard game

  1. Lee Hogarth*,
  2. David J. Stillwell,
  3. Richard J. Tunney

Article first published online: 28 JAN 2013

DOI: 10.1002/hup.2285

Issue

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental

Volume 28, Issue 1, pages 72–79, January 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Hogarth, L., Stillwell, D. J. and Tunney, R. J. (2013), BIS impulsivity and acute nicotine exposure are associated with discounting global consequences in the Harvard game. Hum. Psychopharmacol. Clin. Exp., 28: 72–79. doi: 10.1002/hup.2285

Author Information

  1. School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

*Correspondence to: Lee Hogarth, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Phone: +61 (0)2 93853038; Fax: +61 (0) 9385 3641 E-mail: l.hogarth@unsw.edu.au

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 28 JAN 2013
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 DEC 2012
  4. Manuscript Received: 7 JUN 2012

Funded by

  • ESRC studentship. Grant Number: R.T.; ES/F021801/1
  • MRC award. Grant Number: L.H.; G0701456

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Keywords:

  • decision making;
  • drug dependence;
  • addiction;
  • discounting

Objective

The Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) provides a transdiagnostic marker for a number of psychiatric conditions and drug abuse, but the precise psychological trait(s) tapped by this questionnaire remain obscure.

Method

To address this, 51 smokers completed in counterbalanced order the BIS, a delay discounting task and a Harvard game that measured choice between a response that yielded a high immediate monetary payoff but decreased opportunity to earn money overall (local choice) versus a response that yielded a lower immediate payoff but afforded a greater opportunity to earn overall (global choice).

Results

Individual level of BIS impulsivity and self-elected smoking prior to the study were independently associated with increased preference for the local over the global choice in the Harvard game, but not delay discounting.

Conclusions

BIS impulsivity and acute nicotine exposure reflect a bias in the governance of choice by immediate reward contingencies over global consequences, consistent with contemporary dual-process instrumental learning theories. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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