How future self leads to healthier food decision: Evidence from multiattribute time-dependent drift diffusion model.

People often prioritize immediate gratification over future rewards during decision making, but visualizing the future self can help them consider long-term outcomes more. However, little is known about whether the future self can promote healthier food choices and the computational mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. This study conducted two preregistered experiments to investigate how future self influences food decisions while balancing health and taste attributes. In Experiment 1, participants were randomly divided into two groups: One group saw images of their future selves, while the other saw images of their current selves. Both groups were asked to make decisions between healthy and unhealthy foods. Results indicated that the image of future self increased rates of healthy food choices. To further understand how future self influences the process of decision making, Experiment 2 was conducted, fitting data with a multiattribute, time-dependent version of the drift diffusion model. Results indicated that health attribute entered the process of decision making earlier with a larger weight, whereas taste attribute entered the process of decision making later with a lower weight. These findings demonstrate that the image of the future self can effectively promote healthier food choices, offering important implications for researchers and policymakers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).