Table 2.
Sex differences in behavioral measures of impulsive choice
| Subjects (M:F) | Measures | Results | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Animals | |||
| Rats (8:8) | DD (food) | F>M | van Haaren et al. (1988) |
| Rats (HiS) (9:10) | DD (food) | - | Perry et al. (2007) |
| Rats (LoS) (10:10) | F>M | ||
| Rats (23:24) | DD (cocaine) | - | |
| Rats (81:88) | DD (food) | - | Perry et al. (2008) |
| Mice (12:12) | DD (food) | F>M | Koot et al. (2009) |
| Humans | |||
| Healthy adults (95:121) | DD (hypothetical money) | F>M | Beck & Triplett (2009) |
| Healthy adults (23:31) | DD (hypothetical money) | F>M | Smith & Hantula (2008) |
| Healthy adults (51:48) | DD (chance for real money) | F>M | Reynolds et al. (2006) |
| Healthy adults (11:10) | DD (hypothetical money) | - | Kirby & Marakovic (1995) |
| (10:8) | DD (real money) | M>F (ns) | |
| Healthy adults (303:318) | DD (chance for real money) | M>F | Kirby & Marakovic (1996) |
| University administrators (50:27) | DD (hypothetical departmental funds) | F>M | Logue & Anderson (2001) |
| Tsimane’ Amerindians (73:74) | DD (real money) | F>M (ns) | Kirby et al. (2002) |
| DD (real candy) | F>M (ns) | ||
| Adult smokers and non-smokers (37:34) | DD (hypothetical money) | F>M a | Heymann & Gibb (2006) |
| DD (real money) | M>F (ns) | ||
| Adult smokers and non-smokers (29:25) | DD (real money) | - | Reynolds et al. (2004) |
| PD (real money) | |||
| Adolescent smokers and non-smokers (27:28) | DD (real money) | - | Reynolds et al. (2003) |
| PD (real money) | |||
M>F=males more impulsive than females; F>M=females more impulsive than males; - =no sex difference. DD=delay discounting, PD=probability discounting, HiS=high saccharin intake, LoS=low saccharin intake; ns=non-significant;
a
=p-value of .06