Analyzing the Relationship between Delay Discounting and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptomatology through Mindfulness

Madison N. McCormick*, Cierra B. Edwards and Shari A. Steinman, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Field (Broad Category): Psychology (Behavioral & Social Sciences) 

Student’s Major: Psychology 

Delay discounting is defined as the perceived decline in the value of a reward as a function of the delay to receipt. Past research has found an association between increased delay discounting and various mental disorders, like substance abuse, behavioral addictions, impulse-control disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The current study focuses specifically on the relationship between delay discounting and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology because less is known about the nature of the relationship between the two variables. OCD is defined as having repetitive, intrusive thoughts and performing behaviors to reduce the thoughts. It was hypothesized that those with OCD-like symptoms would show decreased delay discounting after being exposed to a brief mindfulness intervention. Participants with high obsessive-compulsive symptoms were recruited from West Virginia University and the surrounding community. Participants listened to a short mindfulness intervention or a thought-wandering control intervention. After completing the listening interventions, participants completed delay discounting tasks and symptomatology measures. The delay discounting tasks had participants analyze if they would prefer washing their hands immediately and receive a small hypothetical reward, or if they would prefer washing their hands after some span of time and receive a larger reward. Choosing the former indicated an increase in delay discounting, meaning their choice is more impulsive. This study is the first to explore if mindfulness practices can reduce delay discounting among people with significant obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Data collect for the study is still underway. Preliminary findings and exploratory results from preselection will be discussed. 

Funding: Doctoral Fund for Eberly College 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course