Uncovering Individual Differences in Self-Control: Investigating the Relationship Between Subjective Hunger and Intertemporal Decision-Making

Previous studies have found that discounting rates increase for hungry individuals. Based on the strength and process models of self-control, two experiments were conducted to explore the psychological mechanism of the role of subjective hunger on intertemporal choice from the perspective of individual differences in self-control. The results showed that subjective hunger predicted food discounting rates, but did not or not weakly predicted monetary discounting rates. For both intertemporal choices in the fields of money and food, state self-control mediated the effect of subjective hunger on the discounting rate, and trait self-control positively moderated the relationship between subjective hunger and state self-control. However, implicit theories about willpower did not moderate either the relationship between state self-control and monetary discounting rate or its relationship with the food discounting rate. This study provides a new perspective to explain the relationship between subjective hunger and intertemporal decision-making and deepens the understanding of the mechanism of intertemporal decision-making.