A systematic review of delay discounting among workers: framing effects, resource availability, and health

A higher rate of delay discounting has been linked to a range of health-risk behaviors and adverse health outcomes. Despite its relevance, delay discounting has limited application in organizational contexts. The aim of this systematic review was to identify empirical studies on the application of delay discounting in organizations or among workers. Sixteen studies were included. Overall, contextual factors (resource availability and negative income shock) and methodological factors (framework, reward magnitude, task type) influenced delay discounting. Consistent effects were observed, including preference reversals, magnitude and sign effects, and clear distinctions between delay and probability discounting. Limitations include insufficient characterization of organizational variables, insufficient information on data systematicity and fit level of the mathematical discounting functions. Despite these limitations, delay discounting proved to be a sensitive and applicable behavioral indicator of increased self-control, capable of predicting adherence to a physical activity intervention in sedentary workers. The review also identifies opportunities for future research, including multidimensional delay discounting analysis, inter-outcome tasks, and the integration of comparison groups in health-related studies. Overall, delay discounting provides a practical framework for studying decision-making in organizational contexts and for guiding interventions to improve workers' self-regulation and long-term goal achievement.