Using Discounting Biases, Risk Characteristics, and Perceived Control Improves Preventive Programs

Health promotion often works toward remote goals with a trade-off between costs today and benefits in the future. However, for individuals using a positive discount rate for health outcomes a healthy state many years ahead has such a small value that it is difficult to motivate them to engage in preventive behaviors. The framework of time and risk for analysis can perform a useful role in health education and information where the framing of different features of risk might diminish discounting and increase motivation to change behavior. Personal versus general risk and perceived control related to preventive programs are discussed. A summary of valuation factors in preventive programs based on literature review is presented: (a) long-term decisions are sensitive to discount rates; (b) discount rates vary by level of uncertainty, individuals, and contexts; (c) personal risks from adverse health behaviors are judged as smaller than the same risks for people in general; (d) probability discounting is used, if the risk is perceived as controllable; (e) people’s tendency to discount future consequences might be suppressed by lowering the amount of perceived control.