Delay discounting (DD) refers to the phenomenon in which the subjective value of future rewards is reduced over time. There are individual differences in the DD rate, and increased discounting has been observed in those with various psychiatric disorders. Episodic future thinking (EFT) is the act of vividly imagining events that may happen in the future. Studies have shown that EFT could reduce DD, although inconsistent results have been reported. The aim of this meta-analysis was to clarify the efficacy with which EFT reduces DD and to identify potential moderators. Forty-seven studies (including 63 contrasts) were included in the final analysis. EFT was found to significantly reduce DD (Hedges’ g =0.52). Moderator analysis showed that positive EFT (g=0.64) was more effective in reducing DD than EFT with the valence not specifically mentioned (g=0.28), and EFT with neutral or negative valence (g=-0.03). In addition, several factors related to the control task and DD task were related to the efficacy of EFT to reduce DD. These findings have implications for using EFT to reduce DD in the future.

Objective People often prefer immediate small rewards compared to delayed larger rewards, which is referred to delay discounting. Schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, tends to discount more than healthy controls. Episodic future thinking (EFT), in which people mentally simulate future events to pre‐experience the future, has been found to reduce delay discounting in the general population, but whether this effect can be found in individuals with schizotypy remains unknown. The present study examined, in individuals with schizotypy, whether EFT was associated with lower delay discounting compared to episodic recent thinking (ERT), and whether this effect was related to the magnitude of reward. Method A total of 63 individuals with schizotypy were randomly assigned to the EFT condition (n = 30) or the ERT condition (n = 33). A delay discounting task with both large and small reward conditions was used, and before making choices, participants were asked to vividly think about a future event (EFT condition) or a recent past event (ERT condition). Results Results showed that participants in the EFT condition showed lower delay discounting rate than participants in the ERT condition, regardless of the magnitude of reward. These findings suggest that EFT enhanced the ability to resist immediate reward and had an effect on impulsive decision‐making in schizotypy. Conclusions These results provided crucial insights for developing effective intervention for schizophrenia.