the effect of spatial representation of time on inter-temporal choice

Last registered on April 06, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
the effect of spatial representation of time on inter-temporal choice
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018174
Initial registration date
April 01, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 06, 2026, 8:07 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
WENHAO CHEN
Affiliation
NTU
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2026-03-30
End date
2026-04-30
Keywords
Behavior
Additional Keywords
spatial representation of time, time preference, inter-temporal choice, multiple price list, behavioral economics
JEL code(s)
D91, C91, D15
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates how the spatial presentation of time influences people's economic decision-making, specifically their time preferences.In this study, participants will complete a series of inter-temporal choices. The primary objective is to examine whether different spatial representations of time can alter the discount rates people apply to future rewards. The findings will contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological and environmental factors that shape patient versus impatient financial behaviors.
External Link(s)
the link of online survey

Registration Citation

Citation
CHEN, WENHAO. 2026. "the effect of spatial representation of time on inter-temporal choice ." AEA RCT Registry. April 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18174-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study investigates the effect of spatial representation of time on inter-temporal decision-making. During a standard time preference elicitation task (Multiple Price List), participants will be randomly assigned to different conditions that vary the spatial representation of time. Specifically, the intervention manipulates spatial orientation of time-related visual cues accompanying the choice options. The primary objective is to test whether these variations in visual framing influence participants' discount rates.
Intervention Start Date
2026-04-06
Intervention End Date
2026-04-18

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
time preference
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Time preference is constructed from participants' choices in a series of binary intertemporal choice tasks.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study employs a randomized, between-subjects design conducted online via Prolific and Qualtrics. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of several different visual presentation conditions. In the main task, participants will complete a series of intertemporal choices using the multiple-price list (MPL) method to assess their time preferences. Following the primary choice task, participants will rate their affective responses, and conclude with a post-experimental questionnaire collecting demographic information.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in Qualtrics by the randomizer function
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Not applicable. Individual-level randomization.
Sample size: planned number of observations
750 participants
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
250 participants in the control group (non visual cues), 250 participants in the left-right visual cues group, and 250 participants in the right-left visual cues group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
We conduct a power calculation assuming a two-sided test with α = 0.05 and power = 0.80. With 250 participants per treatment arm (N = 750), the minimum detectable effect size (MDE) is approximately 0.25 standard deviations for pairwise comparisons between groups. Assuming a standard deviation of the main outcome (discount rate / switching point) normalized to 1, this corresponds to detecting a difference of 0.25 SD between treatment conditions.
Supporting Documents and Materials

Documents

Document Name
Informed Consent Form (Online Survey)
Document Type
other
Document Description
This document contains the informed consent form presented to participants prior to the experiment.

It outlines the purpose of the study, participation procedures, duration, compensation, and participants’ rights, including voluntary participation and the right to withdraw at any time.

The form also specifies that all responses are anonymous and that no personally identifiable information (including IP addresses) is collected, ensuring participant confidentiality.

Contact information for the researcher and the institutional review board is provided in accordance with ethical research standards.
File
Informed Consent Form (Online Survey)

MD5: 8789fac1bfca53f9eb3abe4179b5ba21

SHA1: 2da6d3acf7e5c9c4486204299695c6dd0709e278

Uploaded At: April 01, 2026

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
NTU Economics Programme Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2026-03-17
IRB Approval Number
Exempt (Reviewed by NTU Economics Programme Ethics Committee; no formal IRB number assigned)
Analysis Plan

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