Mood moderates the relationship between impulsiveness and delay discounting

Impulsiveness and gender have been inconsistently related to delay discounting. One explanation for this inconsistency is that mood moderates the relationship between these variables and discount rate. To investigate this proposal, mood was assessed in 192 female and male undergraduates with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), impulsiveness with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and delay discounting with the Monetary Choice Questionnaire. Results supported the proposal. The relationship of discount rate to the nonplanning impulsiveness (NPI) and motor impulsiveness (MI) subscales of the BIS-11 was stronger depending on the type of affect reported. The relationship between NPI and delay discounting was stronger for individuals with high positive affect (PA) than for those with low PA: the relationship between MI and discounting was stronger for individuals with high negative affect (NA) than for those with low NA. Mood also moderated the relationship between gender and delay discounting. Men, but not women, who were high in NA had high discount rates. Only NP! and NA were directly related to delay discounting. Results agree with other findings that impulsiveness, gender and delay discounting are interrelated, but extend this work by demonstrating that these interrelationships are moderated by mood. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.