Regret Expression and Social Learning Increases Delay to Sexual Gratification

Below:  AUC values for each partner condition by scenario depicted two ways.

In panels A—D, dots represent individual discounting sessions, and boxplots provide the minimum, maximum, first and third quartiles, and median. Points are horizontally jittered (i.e., a small amount of random noise is added) to enhance visibility. In panels E—H, median indifference points for each delay to condom-protected sex are represented for each scenario by partner condition.

Results indicate that the negative health outcome scenario with regret expression resulted in delayed sexual gratification in the most attractive and least STI partner conditions, whereas in the least attractive and most STI partner conditions the negative health outcome with and without regret resulted in delayed sexual gratification.

Results suggest that the sexual discounting task is a relevant laboratory measure and the framing of information to include regret expression may be relevant for prevention of risky sexual behavior.

Read more at:   http://goo.gl/txbdxX HT @VTCSOMRI