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The following is a summary of “Willing to wait: Anorexia nervosa symptomatology is associated with higher future orientation and reduced intertemporal discounting,” published in the February 2025 issue of Scientific Reports by Schuman et al.
Anorexia nervosa involves restrictive eating to achieve thinness. Altered intertemporal decision-making and increased future-oriented cognition may contribute to reduced delay discounting.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine whether temporal orientation is altered in anorexia nervosa. They analyzed its role in reduced delay discounting within this population.
They measured delay discounting behavior, anorexia nervosa symptomatology, and temporal orientation in a large sample of never-diagnosed individuals.
The results showed that higher anorexia nervosa symptomatology correlated with reduced delay discounting and increased future-oriented cognition. Future-oriented cognition mediated the difference in delay discounting between high and low symptom groups. These results were independent of subjective time perception, mood, and anxiety.
Investigators suggested that future-oriented cognition was a cognitive mechanism underlying altered intertemporal decision-making in anorexia nervosa.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-024-80597-7
