稀缺威胁下低社会经济地位者的短视决策过程

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.