Reward value shapes the time course of self-bias.

Abstract

Personal possession wields a potent influence on decision-making, such that objects owned-by-self are categorized more speedily than comparable items belonging to other people. The temporal characteristics of this self-prioritization effect, however, are little understood. Notably, it is uncertain whether the duration of self-bias is sensitive to the characteristics of owned objects, particularly when the items have implications for the self-concept. Accordingly, using an object-classification task, here we explored the extent to which a theoretically important stimulus-related factor-reward value-influences the time course of self-bias. Across three experiments, participants classified high- and low-value items (i.e., stones [Exp. 1], cryptocurrencies [Exp. 2 & 3]) that allegedly belonged to self and a friend. A consistent pattern of effects was observed, indicating that reward value moderated both the extent and persistence of self-prioritization. Specifically, although self-prioritization emerged for both high- and low-value items, this facilitatory effect was larger and more enduring for the former (vs. latter) stimuli. These findings highlight the dynamic character of decisional bias, with implications for theoretical accounts of self-function.