People who grow up in resource-poor environments discount future rewards more than average because they perceive a shorter, more uncertain future.
Paper: Future Discounting by Slum Dwelling Youth Versus University Students in Rio de Janeiro
A study investigates the phenomenon of future discounting, the preference for smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones, among young people living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The study shows that slum dwellers, particularly men, tend to discount the future more heavily than age-matched university students, likely due to their perceptions of a shorter and more uncertain future.
Exposure to violence makes those who are primed with mortality cues more likely to value immediate rewards over delayed rewards and fall for cheap dopamine addiction like drugs compared to those who grow up in resource-rich environments.
Developmental context plays a crucial role in individuals' time preferences and decision-making, and we should challenge the traditional focus on affluent, developed societies in developmental psychology.
I first read this study from Dopamine Nation, where I learned that Addictive drugs can shorten our temporal horizon. Recently, I watched the movie City of God, which portrays violence and drug abuse in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. That film prompted me to revisit this study.