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Original document was submitted as an honors thesis requirement. Copyright is held by the author.

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to unveil new information concerning intertemporal choice, by trying to find a correlation between personality and the temporal choices that people make. The methodology for doing so is as follows: a survey was distributed and responses were regressed using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). Given that there were two questions (one formatted using a calendar date and the other using a word format) about intertemporal choice (subjects were asked to choose a certain payoff corresponding to a specific point in time), there were two models constructed. Each model had the following variable structure: the dependent variable was the expected payoff, while the independent variables were gender, grade, and most importantly, the point total corresponding to the questions about personality. The results of the regression were not statistically significant, most likely majorly due to the smaller sample size of 204 observations as well as a possible presence of a sample bias of college students; however, interesting coefficient sign changes in gender and grade occurred between the two models. Furthermore, the coefficient sign on both models for the point total variable was negative, showing that the more self-interested someone is (according to a personality test), the more present-gain oriented they seem to be. A repetition of the experiment on a grander scale will either confirm or deny these variables’ role in deciding expected payoffs involving intertemporal choices.

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