Affective forecasting to slow down impulsive choices in adults
Official title: Affective Forecasting and Temporal Discounting Across Adulthood
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11452306 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project tests whether imagining how you will feel about future rewards can help people across adulthood, including those affected by Alzheimer’s, make healthier long-term choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $437,250 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG098256-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452306 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 25–85, including individuals with Alzheimer’s disease dementia or related dementias, who can complete decision-making tasks and report their feelings about future outcomes.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who cannot engage with the tasks or have conditions that preclude reliable self-reporting may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores whether guiding people to think about how they will feel about future rewards can reduce the tendency to pick immediate, smaller gains. It will enroll adults aged 25 to 85, including those with or at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, to examine how forecasted feelings relate to choices over time. Two studies will test both spontaneous and directed affective forecasting during decision making. The research will use diverse recruitment to ensure age-related differences are captured and will compare decision patterns across the lifespan.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to simple behavioral strategies to help people make healthier long-term choices, potentially benefiting those at risk for or living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research suggests affective forecasting is linked to decision making, but interventions to modulate temporal discounting in older adults and those with neurodegenerative conditions are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seaman, Kendra Leigh — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Seaman, Kendra Leigh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.