Professor Wang Xiaotian Invited to Deliver Keynote Speech at the 25th National Academic Conference of Psychology
This article is sourced from the official WeChat account of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
The 25th National Psychology Conference opened on October 13, 2023, at Sichuan Normal University in Chengdu, Sichuan. The conference, spanning three days, featured a keynote speech by Professor Wang Xiaotian on October 14, titled “Between Life and Death: Intertemporal Decision-Making within the Framework of Life History Theory” (Conference Announcement: http://nacp2023.psysoc.org.cn/).
Abstract of the Speech
Most economic and psychological theories share two common assumptions: the finiteness of time and the finiteness of resources. Our series of studies explore how the finiteness of time, or rather, the finiteness of life, shapes human behavior. Each individual’s interaction with time occurs within the brief or extended span of a lifetime, making it essential for psychology to focus on life histories and life history theories. Unlike other animals, human beings possess autonoetic consciousness, enabling them to consciously plan their lives within the limited time they have and make decisions accordingly. One’s worldview, encompassing their perception of time and values, is influenced not only by the perception of time but also by how they perceive and respond to two fundamental aspects of life: the inevitability of death and the uncertainty/impermanence of death. In this presentation, I will demonstrate how adjusting the inevitability and uncertainty of death within the framework of life history can impact individuals or populations’ delay discounting (future discounting). I will also discuss how we use meta-analysis to compare different developmental psychological theories, generate age curves for delay discounting across the entire life history from 178 samples, and present our current research progress and related reflections.
HD-BDM Lab
契而不舍。