Individual socioeconomic status did not predict experimental choices independently of assigned conditions, challenging assumptions that poverty-adapted decision patterns universally transfer across contexts. (6/8)
Key insights 💡
The lesson is clear: if we want to change behavior, we need to change the rules of the game more than the people themselves. Intervening in conditions of security and predictability may be more effective than focusing only on individual “mindsets.” (7/8)
What did we find?
Reducing uncertainty 🤔 significantly increased delay of gratification among scarcity-exposed participants, with effects comparable to direct resource provision💰 ✅ suggesting that uncertainty reduction functions as 'functional liquidity'. (5/8)
After several rounds they faced a crucial choice: take a smaller amount of money immediately or wait a few more rounds to receive a larger reward. (4/8)
We designed a realistic video game with real monetary incentives to test how resource scarcity and uncertainty affect people’s willingness to delay gratification. (2/8)
We believe this has important implications for the design of public policies and social interventions aimed at reducing poverty and promoting long-term decision-making.
Participants had to make decisions that affected both their well-being and their financial situation in the game, while also dealing with unexpected events that strained their resources. (3/8)
I had the opportunity to visit beautiful places in 🇯🇵 , learn about Japanese culture, and present my PhD project at @icsd2026.bsky.social. It was a great chance to receive feedback and reconnect with colleagues from around the world.
Thanks to the organizers for such an incredible conference!
🚨 New paper published in Theory and Decision! 📄
“Uncertainty amplifies the impact of scarcity on delay of gratification: evidence from a serious game experiment”
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
