ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B
主办:中国心理学会
   中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

心理学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (2): 198-220.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.0198 cstr: 32110.14.2026.0198

• “社会治理视角下经济处境的心理影响及其干预策略”专栏 • 上一篇    下一篇

稀缺威胁下低社会经济地位者的短视决策过程

胡小勇1, 杜棠艳2, 冀月欣2, 宫文卓2, 王笛新2, 郭永玉3()   

  1. 1武汉大学心理学系, 武汉 430072
    2西南大学心理学部, 重庆 400715
    3南京师范大学心理学院, 南京 210097
  • 收稿日期:2024-04-02 发布日期:2025-12-03 出版日期:2026-02-25
  • 通讯作者: 郭永玉, E-mail: yyguo@njnu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家社会科学基金西部项目“行为决策助推低收入群体共同富裕的路径及策略研究”(23XSH003);教育部人文社科基金规划项目(22YJA190003)

Myopic decision-making in lower socioeconomic status individuals under threats of scarcity

HU Xiaoyong1, DU Tangyan2, JI Yuexin2, GONG Wenzhuo2, WANG Dixin2, GUO Yongyu3()   

  1. 1Department of psychology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
    2Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
    3School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
  • Received:2024-04-02 Online:2025-12-03 Published:2026-02-25

摘要:

尽管大量研究表明, 低社会经济地位者更倾向于选择即时的小奖励而非延迟的更大回报, 但这一现象的潜在心理机制仍未得到充分研究。本研究在对跨期决策的启发式模型、单维占优模型与威胁视角下心理转变模型进行整合基础上, 提出并检验了稀缺威胁在社会经济地位影响跨期决策中的调节作用, 以及时间占优偏向对该调节效应的中介作用模型。研究结果表明: (1)低社会经济地位者比高社会经济地位者更倾向于短视决策; (2)稀缺威胁的调节作用显著, 在稀缺威胁条件下低社会经济地位者比高社会经济地位者更倾向于选择短期回报; 然而, 在非稀缺威胁条件下, 二者之间差异不显著; (3)时间占优偏向是低社会经济地位者做出“短视”决策的心理机制, 即在遭受稀缺威胁时, 低社会经济地位者比高社会经济地位者的时间占优偏向更强, 进而做出了短视决策。这些发现表明, 低社会经济地位的短视并非源于心理缺陷, 而是对稀缺威胁环境的适应性反应。本研究为降低对低社会经济地位的污名化提供了理论支撑, 并为制定促进低社会经济地位者实现共同富裕的干预策略提供了科学依据。

关键词: 社会经济地位, 跨期决策, 稀缺威胁, 时间占优偏向

Abstract:

China has entered a critical phase in its pursuit of fostering common prosperity. Central to this mission is the upliftment of low-income individuals and the expansion of the middle-income group. However, evidence indicates that those with lower socioeconomic status (SES) often engage in myopic behaviors that impede their economic progress, such as accruing debt, insufficient savings, and inadequate investment in education and health. Over time, these patterns can entrench a cycle of disadvantage. Previous research indicates that lower- SES undermines self-control, increasing susceptibility to irrational decisions. However, recent studies suggest that the decision-making behaviors of lower-SES individuals are adaptive responses to their threatening environments. Despite these advances, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying reasons and psychological mechanisms driving these “short-sighted” decisions remains elusive.

To address this gap, we seek to elucidate why individuals with lower-SES exhibit myopic decision-making tendencies. A series of studies were conducted to investigate this phenomenon: 1) Study 1, a large-scale questionnaire survey examined the relationship between SES and intertemporal choice, alongside the moderating effect of scarcity threats; 2) Study 2, an experimental approach validated the findings of Study 1 and established a causal link between SES and intertemporal choice; 3) Study 3, further explored how scarcity threats moderated the relationship between SES and decision-making over time, focusing on the mediating role of time dominance bias; 4) Study 4, Built on the findings of Study 3 using an experimental method to confirm the causal relationships among the variables.

The results reveal a direct correlation between SES and myopic decision-making: individuals with lower-SES are more likely to favor short-term options compared to their higher-SES counterparts. Additionally, scarcity threats amplify this tendency. Under conditions of perceived scarcity, lower-SES individuals exhibit an increased preference for immediate gains. Crucially, time dominance bias emerges as a psychological mechanism driving these decisions. When scarcity threats are present, lower-SES individuals prioritize the temporal dimension, leading them to favor immediate rewards over long-term benefits.

In conclusion, these findings support the adaptive perspective of intertemporal decision-making among individuals from lower-SES, revealing that scarcity threats intensify their inclination toward immediate gratification. Time dominance bias plays a pivotal role in shaping these shortsighted choices, particularly under conditions of scarcity, driving preferences for short-term over future rewards. These findings shed light on the psychological underpinnings of such behaviors and provide valuable insights for designing interventions aimed at mitigating myopic decision-making tendencies in lower-SES populations.

Key words: socioeconomic status, intertemporal choice, scarcity threat, time-dominance bias

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