Impact of Depressive Tendency on Intertemporal Decision-Making in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effects of Perceived Stress and Self-Control

Impact of Depressive Tendency on Intertemporal Decision-Making in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effects of Perceived Stress and Self-Control | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Impact of Depressive Tendency on Intertemporal Decision-Making in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effects of Perceived Stress and Self-Control Yutong Xie, Danning Su, Yuhang Li, Xinyu Gao, Jing Han, Bin Xie This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6444734/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Objective: To decipher the impact of perceived stress and self-control on intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies, so as to understand the underlying psychological mechanisms through which depressive tendency influenced decision-making, thereby providing theoretical foundation for promoting psychological recovery in depressed students and enhancing their decision-making through educational interventions. Methodology: This study employed an online questionnaire survey, with the collection of 1,469 responses totally. There were 436 valid questionnaires with a depressive tendency score greater than 10 after the exclusion of incomplete and invariant responses. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and moderated mediation tests were adopted to explore the relationships of depressive tendency, perceived stress and self-control with intertemporal decision-making. Result: Depressive tendency correlated negatively with intertemporal decision-making obviously. Perceived stress played a mediating role between depressive tendency and intertemporal decision-making, while self-control ability further act as a mediated moderator between perceived stress and intertemporal decision-making. Conclusion: Depressive tendency leads to the preference of college students to smaller immediate rewards, which may be the underlying psychological factor that influence their intertemporal decision-making. It can be interpreted that due to the presence of depression, there may be higher perceived stress, which in turn impairs self-control and affects decision-making. Therefore, in the educational practice to enhance the decision-making ability of college students, cultivation and training can be carried out in aspects such as maintaining positive emotions, strengthening stress management, and improving self-control ability. Depressive tendency Intertemporal decision-making Perceived stress Self-control Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction Intertemporal decision-making is a process that an individual determine his/her preferences after weighing their gains or losses at different time points [ 1 ] . This extremely common decision-making behaviors can be found everywhere and every time in daily life, such as choosing between immediate consumption or savings for greater future returns. Time discounting is a key feature in this process,, meaning the underestimation of future gains-losses and prioritization of immediate needs [ 2 ] . This tendency may result in a pursuit for short-term satisfaction by sacrificing long-term well-being [ 3 ] . The rate of time discounting was reported to be calculated through Mazur’s hyperbolic model. Its mathematical expression is “V = 1 + kDA,” where “V” represents subjective value, “A” is the delay amount, “D” refers to the delay days, and “k” indicates the time discount rate. Individuals may tend to instant gratification in the context of higher “k” value [ 4 ][ 5 ] . Intertemporal decision-making occupies a key position for the psychological development of college students. Enhancement in this ability helps them learn to weigh the pros and cons, restrain impulses, and cultivate delayed gratification when dealing with short-term temptations and long-term goals. It can also benefit the cultivation of risk awareness and coping ability, allowing students to find the optimal solution in uncertainty. Eventually, it can strength their psychological resilience, making them become rational decision-makers and adapt to society better. Intertemporal decision-making has been documented to be intervened by various factors, such as emotions, self-control, and perceived stress. In particular, individuals with a depressive tendency exhibit a higher time discounting rate in decision-making, suggesting their more apparent preference of immediate rewards [ 6 ] . Depressive tendency, described first by Judd et al. in 1994, is a subthreshold depressive state where an individual, not yet up to the diagnostic criteria for depression, exhibits two or more depressive symptoms for at least two weeks [ 7 ] . Individuals with negative emotions tended to underestimate future rewards in intertemporal decision-making [ 8 ] , possibly due to pessimistic expectations of the future and excessive emphasis on immediate rewards [ 9 ][ 10 ] . In this day and age where social competition intensifies and the pace of life accelerates, increasingly more college students exhibit a depressive tendency. In case of persist tendency, it may lead to moderate or severe depressive disorders [ 11 ] . Perceived stress is also another contributor that deserves attention. Based on the first proposal of stress by Selye [ 12 ] , Lazarus expanded the concept and proposed perceived stress, emphasizing stress coping through cognitive adjustment by individuals [ 13 ] . It is a subjective experience of an individual in response to stressful events, with its intensity and impact varying depending on the individual’s cognition and feelings [ 14 ] . Under high-stress conditions, individuals may focus more on immediate rewards to alleviate psychological stress, resulting in higher time discounting rates. Prior data supported a significantly negative correlation of adolescents’ intertemporal decision-making with perceived stress, with shortsighted choices under stress usually [ 15 ] . Furthermore, intertemporal decision-making may be affected by the interaction of depressive tendency and perceived stress jointly. Currently, there is a sobering picture that college students experience rising high levels of depressive tendency and stress perception [ 16 ] , necessitating special attention paid to the dual effects of the two factors on intertemporal decision-making. Self-control ability can also affect intertemporal decision-making. It enables individuals to pursue long-term goals by consciously suppressing their instinctual responses [ 17 ] . Thaler and Shefrin proposed that in individuals with self-control ability, they could suppress short-term preferences to choose long-term goals when there was a conflict between short-term outcomes and long-term goals in intertemporal decision-making [ 18 ] . Individuals with high self-control were more likely to make delayed choices, while those with low self-control preferred immediate decisions [ 19 ] . Besides, the level of self-control of resources can effectively measure self-control ability, and subjects with decreased self-control of resources were reported to prefer immediate choice in intertemporal decision-making potentially [ 20 ] . Significantly, we may get into the bottom of the internal psychological features and influential factors of their decision-making processes by clarifying the impact of stress perception and self-control on intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies. Moreover, theoretically, it may provide feasible suggestions for boosting psychological health development of depressed college students and enhancing their decision-making in practice. 2. Research Materials and Methods 2.1 Participants Participants from three universities in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, and other regions of China, were surveyed using questionnaires supported by an online survey platform Wenjuanxing ( www.wjx . cn). Through random sampling, data were collected through campus visits and based on online sharing of the questionnaire link. Students participated voluntarily in the survey by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code to fill out the questionnaire. All stored data from this anonymous survey were kept confidential. With the collection of 1,469 questionnaires, 436 valid questionnaires remained after removing incomplete or invariant responses, with depressive tendency scores defined as > 10 points. Participants aged 20.4 years old (± 1.31) on average. In view of the final samples, there were 208 male participants (47.7%) and 228 female participants (52.2%). Besides, the specific numbers (proportions) of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were 87 (19.9%), 135 (30.9%), 119 (27.2%), and 95 (21.7%), respectively. 2.2 Sample Size Adequacy To define the required adequate sample size, G∗Power (3.1.9.7) was used for post-hoc efficacy analysis. Under a given condition of D = 0.3 and α = 0.05 (medium effect size), the calculated statistical power (1-β) was 0.95 for the 436 sample size in this study, supporting the adequacy of sample size in this study. 2.3 Testing Tools (1) Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Short Form (CES-D) The CES-D consists of 9 items, each rated on a 4-point scale. Based on samples from various age groups across the country, the calculated reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.85–0.88 and 0.49, respectively, with the item-total score correlation ranged between 0.51–0.69. The criterion validity associated with the CES-D was 0.61 (P < 0.001), and the score of depression diagnosed at the first visit was significantly higher than that of depression diagnosed with medication (t = 4.76, P < 0.001). According to previous research on the Chinese college students, the total score of the CES-D correlated highly with that of the original 20-item version, ranging from 0.94 to 0.96. In CES-D, the depressive tendency and high-risk depression were determined at the threshold of 10 points and 17 points, respectively [ 21 ] . The Cronbach’s alpha of CES-D was 0.85 in the present study. (2) Perceived Stress Questionnaire A Perceived Stress Questionnaire (Chinese version), originally developed by Sheldon et al. and revised by Yang Tingzhong and Huang Hanteng, was used in this study. For measuring the perceived stress in the past month, this questionnaire consists of 10 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A higher score indicates more perceived stress. According to previous measurements on Chinese college students, the Cronbach’s coefficient of this questionnaire was 0.78. The average inter-item correlation was 0.28, and item-total score correlation ranged from 0.37 to 0.53, indicating high homogeneity and internal consistency [ 22 ] . Similarly, the Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to be 0.94 in our study. (3) College Student Self-Control Scale The Chinese Version of the College Students’ Self-Control Scale, revised by Tan Shuhua et al., was used in this study. The revised scale scored college students from five dimensions of impulse control, healthy habits, resistance to temptation, focus on work, and entertainment moderation, with 19 items totally. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with greater self-control abilities determined when there were higher total scores. According to previous experimental results targeting Chinese university students, corresponding internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.862 and 0.850, respectively [ 23 ] . Good reliability and validity were found based on theCronbach’s alpha value of 0.83 in this study. (4) Intertemporal Decision-making Scale This study employed an intertemporal decision-making experimental paradigm with reference from the research of Wang and Dvorak in 2010. The research paradigm consists of 14 questions, and the first 7 and last 7 questions can be considered parallel tests. In this study, the first 7 questions were selected as the formal experimental measurement tool for the matching task.. In the scale, participants can choose to receive a smaller monetary reward (non-fixed) tomorrow or a larger reward (non-fixed) after a certain delay. The “k” value corresponding to each question was determined according to the equation of the hyperbolic model \(\:\text{K}=\frac{\frac{\text{A}\:\text{f}\text{u}\text{t}\text{u}\text{r}\text{e}}{\text{A}\:\text{c}\text{u}\text{r}\text{r}\text{e}\text{n}\text{t}}-1}{\text{D}}\) , where “A future ” and “A current ” represent the future and current reward amount, respectively. “D” represents the delay time (in days, months, or years). “K” represents the time discounting rate, which is a reflection of the preference of an individual for delayed rewards. In other words, individuals with higher or lower “k” may reveal a stronger preference for smaller rewards in the present, or a greater willingness of waiting for larger rewards in the future. After answering each question by the subjects in sequence, this study would sort the “k” values from small to large to determine the inflection point where the subjects’ decisions changed [ 24 ] . Noticeably, data with only one inflection point were eligible for each, and those exceeding one inflection point were invalid that should be deleted from this study. For example, in the question “Receive ￥100 tomorrow or ￥320 after 365 days”, D (delay time) = 365, A (future amount) = 320, and A (current amount) = 100, then k= \(\:\frac{\frac{320}{100}-1}{365}\) ≈0.006. If the participant chose “larger future reward” in the first three questions, but “smaller immediate reward” starting from question 4, then question 4 would be the the inflection point. 2.4 Data Analysis Data analyzed in this study were sourced from anonymous self-report questionnaires, with potential common methodological biases. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The data would be determined to be approximately normally distributed when both skewness and kurtosis were < 1 in the normality test. The analysis was finished in three steps: (1) summary of demographic information through descriptive statistics; (2) correlation analysis to clarify the relationship of depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making; and (3) relationship validation through regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) fitting. 3. Result Testing of Common Method Bias (CMB) All data were obtained from self-assessment questionnaires. To confirm the existence of CMB, an unrotated exploratory factor analysis was conducted on all items within the questionnaire by Harman’s single-factor test. Finally, there were 45 common factors with eigenvalues > 1, of which the top-1 accounted for 10.43% of the total, smaller than the criterion of 40% proposed by Podsakoff et al. Therefore, our study revealed no serious CMB. Demographic Characteristics At a threshold value of 10 points for depressive tendency regarding the total score of the CES-D, 17 points was defined as the high-risk score for depression. In our study, 436 college students had high risk of depression. Table 1 presents the descriptive statistics of all variables based on the perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making scores of all participants according to their different demographic characteristics. Table 1: Descriptive Statistics and Demographic Differences of Variables Variables n(%) M SD t F P Depressive Tendency Male 208 26.63 2.38(±0.17) 0.72 0.42 0.52 Female 228 26.47 2.41(±0.16) Freshmen 87 26.93 2.16(±0.23) 0.97 0.41 Sophomores 135 26.04 2.49(±0.22) Juniors 119 26.71 2.29(±0.21) Seniors 95 26.73 2.48(±0.26) Self-control Male 208 45.49 4.82(±0.33) -0.54 1.24 0.27 Female 228 45.73 4.52(±0.30) Freshmen 87 44.89 3.49(±0.37) 0.52 0.67 Sophomores 135 45.81 5.49(±0.47) Juniors 119 45.75 4.94(±0.45) Seniors 95 45.85 3.91(±0.40) Perceived Stress Male 208 39.25 3.20(±0.22) 0.87 0.06 0.80 Female 228 39.53 3.49(±0.23) Freshmen 87 26.93 2.16(±0.23) 0.42 0.74 Sophomores 135 26.04 2.49(±0.22) Juniors 119 26.71 2.29(±0.21) Seniors 95 26.73 2.48(±0.26) Intertemporal Decision-making Male 208 1.47 0.20(±0.01) 1.25 0.01 0.98 Female 228 1.44 0.18(±0.01) Freshmen 87 1.48 0.18(±0.02) 1.27 0.28 Sophomores 135 1.47 0.17(±0.01) Juniors 119 1.45 0.19(±0.02) Seniors 95 1.43 0.22(±0.02) No significant differences were noticed in the indices of depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making among the four academic years and between genders. Therefore, the surveyed college students exhibited high degree of homogeneity in psychological characteristics and decision-making behaviors. During this relatively special period of studying in university stage, students may experience similar academic pressure, social environments, and life rhythms. These common external factors may results in a tendency of consistent psychological state and behavioral performance, thereby masking differences between genders and among grades. Correlation Analysis The study further clarified the relationship of perceived stress and self-control with intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies using a correlation analysis. As shown in Table 2 , there were positive correlations among depressive tendency, intertemporal decision-making, and perceived stress; while self-control was negatively correlated with the three variables. Table 2 Correlational Relationships Among Variables M SD depressive tendency Perceived Stress Self-control Intertemporal Decision-making Depressive tendency 26.18 3.16 1 .64** − .65** .55** Perceived Stress 37.55 7.37 1 − .71** .61** Self-control 47.69 11.43 1 − .63** Intertemporal Decision-making 1.46 0.19 1 Moderated Mediation Effect of Perceived Stress and Self-Control In this study, regression analysis was first conducted to examine the relationships among the variables. SEM was further employed using Amos 24.0 to establish a model for moderated mediation analysis. The analysis employed 5,000 bootstrap samples with a 95% confidence interval (CI), controlling for variables such as gender, age, and academic year. On this basis, this study examined the moderated mediation effects of perceived stress and self-control on the relationship between depressive tendencies and intertemporal decision-making (Tables 3 – 4 ). Consequently, the total effect of depressive tendency on intertemporal decision-making was 0.33 (p < 0.001), with a 95% CI excluding 0 (LLCI = 0.03, ULCI = 0.04). The direct effect of depressive tendency on intertemporal decision-making was 0.09 (P < 0.001), with a 95% CI excluding 0 (LLCI = 0.06, ULCI = 0.25). All the three paths were significant (Table 3 ). Table 3 Regression Analysis of the Mediating Model between Perceived Stress and Self-control in Depressive Tendency and Intertime Decision-making Variables Perceived Stress Self-control Intertemporal Decision-making B SE t B SE t B SE t Depressive Tendency 0.65 0.10 17.61 ** -0.34 0.15 -8.23 ** 0.16 0.06 3.20 ** Perceived Stress -0.75 0.06 -11.65 ** 0.28 0.04 5.20 ** Self-control -0.33 0.02 -6.23 ** R 2 0.42 0.56 0.47 F 310.09 280.51 125.00 Table 4 Moderated Mediation Effect Test Mediation Effect Pathways Mediation Effect Values Boot SE Boot LL Boot UL Depressive Tendency—Perceived Stress— Intertemporal Decision-making 0.11 0.23 0.06 0.15 Depressive Tendency—Self-control—Intertemporal Decision-making 0.07 0.17 0.04 0.01 Depressive Tendency—Perceived Stress— Self-control—Intertemporal Decision-making 0.06 0.16 0.03 0.10 Eventually, the above results supported this moderated mediation model. Specifically, depressive tendency affected intertemporal decision-making through perceived stress and self-control. The specific moderated mediation model is shown in Fig. 1 . 4. Discussion In the present study, no significant differences were observed in indices for depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making in the surveyed college students across the four academic years and between genders, suggesting the involvement of multiple factors. It can be interpreted that the psychological characteristics of college students are subjected to the influence of diverse factors since thery are in a critical stage of physical and mental development. Despite the importance of gender and grade, additional factors such as personality traits, family background, and social support system, are also contributors for an individual’s psychological state [ 25 ] . For example, in a research on gender roles, intersex individuals exhibited greater flexibility in coping with stress and emotional regulation. This trait might mask gender differences in depressive tendency and perceived stress. In addition, college students’ self-control may be influenced by their personal growth experiences and psychological maturity. These factors may overlap between different genders and grades, resulting in insignificant differences. This study profoundly analyzed the intertemporal decision-making behavior of college students with depressive tendencies, revealing obvious negative correlation. In other words, individuals with depressive tendencies would be more prone to choosing immediate rewards with smaller returns, rather than delayed rewards with larger returns. This may be related to the existence of more negative expectations for the future in these depressed individuals [ 6 ] , leading to more significant preference towards instant gratification when making decisions. Simultaneously, due to the anxiety of future uncertainty, individuals with depressive tendencies preferred rewards that can be obtained immediately to reduce the psychological pressure. Besides, these individuals may lack motivation to pursue long-term goals, owing to low mood and lack of interest, further affecting their preference for rewards immediately. Furthermore, perceived stress and self-control was a pivotal mediated moderator between depressive tendencies and intertemporal decision-making. As reported previously, college students with depressive tendencies usually experienced higher perceived stress, which would further weaken their self-control in intertemporal decision-making [ 26 ] This perceived stress may be developed from academic pressure, interpersonal relationship pressure, future uncertainty and various other inducers. Due to the high perceived stress, students would prefer immediate gratification in decision-making to alleviate current psychological stress. Moreover, perceived stress would disturb students’ emotional state and cognitive assessment, resulting in more obvious tendency towards immediate rewards to alleviate their current psychological stress, resulting in a higher time discounting rate in intertemporal decision-making [ 27 ] . Besides, college students with depressive tendencies would have suppressed self-control owing to their higher perceived stress. The decline in self-control may make individuals choose impulsively in case of temptations, manifesting as a preference for immediate rewards and a tendency toward immediate gratification [ 28 ] . Moreover, in addition to compromising the performance of intertemporal decision-making, the deficiency of self-control may further exacerbate depressive tendencies, forming a vicious cycle. Conclusions (1) Depressive tendencies have a significant negative impact on college students’ intertemporal decision-making; (2) Perceived stress and self-control exhibit moderated mediation effects in the intertemporal decision-making of college students with depressive tendencies. 5. Limitations and Shortcomings There are still limitations in this study, despite some promising results. Firstly, our study was carried out based on the inclusion of a group of college students with single regional and group characteristics, leading to weakened external validity of the results. More subjects from different regions and of different types can be enrolled in future research to strengthen the generalizability of the results. Secondly, with potential subjective biases, the psychological scales and questionnaire surveys used in this study might be impossible to fully capture the complexity of the actual decision-making. It necessitates the performance of in-depth study to more comprehensively evaluate relevant variables by integrating behavioral experiments, physiological indicators, etc. Additionally, the present study lacked causal relationship establishment among the variables and validation of intervention measures, which was restricted by the cross-sectional design of this study. Subsequent study can design targeted psychological intervention programs to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the intertemporal decision-making ability of college students with depressive tendencies. Declarations Data Availability Statement The original information presented in the research has been presented in this article/supplementary materials. For specific inquiries, please contact the corresponding author. Ethics Statement The study involving human subjects has been reviewed and approved by the School of Sports and Health Sciences at Xi’an Sport University. The study complied with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the School of Sports and Health Sciences at Xi’an Physical Education University. All participants provided written informed consent prior to the commencement of the study, and the research protocols strictly adhered to ethical approval requirements. Acknowledgments We are grateful to the students who participated in the survey and to the university leaders and teachers for their support. Special thanks go to Professor Bin Xie for her meticulous guidance in research design and data analysis. We also appreciate the understanding and support from our families. We will continue to work hard to contribute more to the mental health of college students. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Consent for publication Not applicable Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Author details 1 Department of Psychology, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China. 2 Graduate Department, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China. 3 Student Mental Health Center, Student Affairs Office, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China. References Scholten M, Read D. Better is worse, worse is better: Violations of dominance in intertime choice. Decision. 2014;1(3):215. Zhu-Yuan LIANG, Huan LIU. Exploring the Nature of Intertemporal Choice. Adv Psychol Sci. 2011;19(07):959–66. Hardisty DJ, Weber EU. 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The relationship between stress perception and sleep quality among college students: chain mediating effect of expression inhibition and anxiety emotions. Chin J Behav Med Brain Sci. 2024;33(1):51–6. Huihui Kuang. (2024). The Relationship between Stress Perception and Mobile Phone Dependence in Middle School Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Anxiety and Self-Control (Master dissertation, Hainan Normal University). Master. https://link.cnki.net/doi/10.27719/d.cnki .ghnsf.2024.000060doi:10.27719/d.cnki.ghnsf.2024.000060 Jiang Y, Jang C. Et al. Effects of emotion on intertemporal decision-making: Explanation from the single dimension priority model. Acta Physiol Sinica. 2022;54(02):122–40. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eIntertemporal decision-making is a process that an individual determine his/her preferences after weighing their gains or losses at different time points\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. This extremely common decision-making behaviors can be found everywhere and every time in daily life, such as choosing between immediate consumption or savings for greater future returns. Time discounting is a key feature in this process,, meaning the underestimation of future gains-losses and prioritization of immediate needs\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. This tendency may result in a pursuit for short-term satisfaction by sacrificing long-term well-being\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. The rate of time discounting was reported to be calculated through Mazur\u0026rsquo;s hyperbolic model. Its mathematical expression is \u0026ldquo;V\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;kDA,\u0026rdquo; where \u0026ldquo;V\u0026rdquo; represents subjective value, \u0026ldquo;A\u0026rdquo; is the delay amount, \u0026ldquo;D\u0026rdquo; refers to the delay days, and \u0026ldquo;k\u0026rdquo; indicates the time discount rate. Individuals may tend to instant gratification in the context of higher \u0026ldquo;k\u0026rdquo; value\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e][\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Intertemporal decision-making occupies a key position for the psychological development of college students. Enhancement in this ability helps them learn to weigh the pros and cons, restrain impulses, and cultivate delayed gratification when dealing with short-term temptations and long-term goals. It can also benefit the cultivation of risk awareness and coping ability, allowing students to find the optimal solution in uncertainty. Eventually, it can strength their psychological resilience, making them become rational decision-makers and adapt to society better.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntertemporal decision-making has been documented to be intervened by various factors, such as emotions, self-control, and perceived stress. In particular, individuals with a depressive tendency exhibit a higher time discounting rate in decision-making, suggesting their more apparent preference of immediate rewards\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Depressive tendency, described first by Judd et al. in 1994, is a subthreshold depressive state where an individual, not yet up to the diagnostic criteria for depression, exhibits two or more depressive symptoms for at least two weeks\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Individuals with negative emotions tended to underestimate future rewards in intertemporal decision-making\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, possibly due to pessimistic expectations of the future and excessive emphasis on immediate rewards\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e][\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. In this day and age where social competition intensifies and the pace of life accelerates, increasingly more college students exhibit a depressive tendency. In case of persist tendency, it may lead to moderate or severe depressive disorders\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived stress is also another contributor that deserves attention. Based on the first proposal of stress by Selye\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, Lazarus expanded the concept and proposed perceived stress, emphasizing stress coping through cognitive adjustment by individuals\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. It is a subjective experience of an individual in response to stressful events, with its intensity and impact varying depending on the individual\u0026rsquo;s cognition and feelings\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Under high-stress conditions, individuals may focus more on immediate rewards to alleviate psychological stress, resulting in higher time discounting rates. Prior data supported a significantly negative correlation of adolescents\u0026rsquo; intertemporal decision-making with perceived stress, with shortsighted choices under stress usually\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Furthermore, intertemporal decision-making may be affected by the interaction of depressive tendency and perceived stress jointly. Currently, there is a sobering picture that college students experience rising high levels of depressive tendency and stress perception\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, necessitating special attention paid to the dual effects of the two factors on intertemporal decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-control ability can also affect intertemporal decision-making. It enables individuals to pursue long-term goals by consciously suppressing their instinctual responses\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Thaler and Shefrin proposed that in individuals with self-control ability, they could suppress short-term preferences to choose long-term goals when there was a conflict between short-term outcomes and long-term goals in intertemporal decision-making\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Individuals with high self-control were more likely to make delayed choices, while those with low self-control preferred immediate decisions\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Besides, the level of self-control of resources can effectively measure self-control ability, and subjects with decreased self-control of resources were reported to prefer immediate choice in intertemporal decision-making potentially\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSignificantly, we may get into the bottom of the internal psychological features and influential factors of their decision-making processes by clarifying the impact of stress perception and self-control on intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies. Moreover, theoretically, it may provide feasible suggestions for boosting psychological health development of depressed college students and enhancing their decision-making in practice.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Research Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Participants\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eParticipants from three universities in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, and other regions of China, were surveyed using questionnaires supported by an online survey platform Wenjuanxing (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ewww.wjx\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. cn). Through random sampling, data were collected through campus visits and based on online sharing of the questionnaire link. Students participated voluntarily in the survey by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code to fill out the questionnaire. All stored data from this anonymous survey were kept confidential. With the collection of 1,469 questionnaires, 436 valid questionnaires remained after removing incomplete or invariant responses, with depressive tendency scores defined as \u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10 points. Participants aged 20.4 years old (\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.31) on average. In view of the final samples, there were 208 male participants (47.7%) and 228 female participants (52.2%). Besides, the specific numbers (proportions) of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were 87 (19.9%), 135 (30.9%), 119 (27.2%), and 95 (21.7%), respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Sample Size Adequacy\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTo define the required adequate sample size, G\u0026lowast;Power (3.1.9.7) was used for post-hoc efficacy analysis. Under a given condition of D\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.3 and \u0026alpha;\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05 (medium effect size), the calculated statistical power (1-\u0026beta;) was 0.95 for the 436 sample size in this study, supporting the adequacy of sample size in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.3 Testing Tools\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(1) Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Short Form (CES-D)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe CES-D consists of 9 items, each rated on a 4-point scale. Based on samples from various age groups across the country, the calculated reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.85\u0026ndash;0.88 and 0.49, respectively, with the item-total score correlation ranged between 0.51\u0026ndash;0.69. The criterion validity associated with the CES-D was 0.61 (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), and the score of depression diagnosed at the first visit was significantly higher than that of depression diagnosed with medication (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.76, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). According to previous research on the Chinese college students, the total score of the CES-D correlated highly with that of the original 20-item version, ranging from 0.94 to 0.96. In CES-D, the depressive tendency and high-risk depression were determined at the threshold of 10 points and 17 points, respectively\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. The Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha of CES-D was 0.85 in the present study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(2) Perceived Stress Questionnaire\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA Perceived Stress Questionnaire (Chinese version), originally developed by Sheldon et al. and revised by Yang Tingzhong and Huang Hanteng, was used in this study. For measuring the perceived stress in the past month, this questionnaire consists of 10 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A higher score indicates more perceived stress. According to previous measurements on Chinese college students, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s coefficient of this questionnaire was 0.78. The average inter-item correlation was 0.28, and item-total score correlation ranged from 0.37 to 0.53, indicating high homogeneity and internal consistency\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Similarly, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha was calculated to be 0.94 in our study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(3) College Student Self-Control Scale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Chinese Version of the College Students\u0026rsquo; Self-Control Scale, revised by Tan Shuhua et al., was used in this study. The revised scale scored college students from five dimensions of impulse control, healthy habits, resistance to temptation, focus on work, and entertainment moderation, with 19 items totally. Each item was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with greater self-control abilities determined when there were higher total scores. According to previous experimental results targeting Chinese university students, corresponding internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.862 and 0.850, respectively\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Good reliability and validity were found based on theCronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha value of 0.83 in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(4) Intertemporal Decision-making Scale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThis study employed an intertemporal decision-making experimental paradigm with reference from the research of Wang and Dvorak in 2010. The research paradigm consists of 14 questions, and the first 7 and last 7 questions can be considered parallel tests. In this study, the first 7 questions were selected as the formal experimental measurement tool for the matching task.. In the scale, participants can choose to receive a smaller monetary reward (non-fixed) tomorrow or a larger reward (non-fixed) after a certain delay. The \u0026ldquo;k\u0026rdquo; value corresponding to each question was determined according to the equation of the hyperbolic model \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\text{K}=\\frac{\\frac{\\text{A}\\:\\text{f}\\text{u}\\text{t}\\text{u}\\text{r}\\text{e}}{\\text{A}\\:\\text{c}\\text{u}\\text{r}\\text{r}\\text{e}\\text{n}\\text{t}}-1}{\\text{D}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, where \u0026ldquo;A\u003csup\u003efuture\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;A\u003csup\u003ecurrent\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026rdquo; represent the future and current reward amount, respectively. \u0026ldquo;D\u0026rdquo; represents the delay time (in days, months, or years). \u0026ldquo;K\u0026rdquo; represents the time discounting rate, which is a reflection of the preference of an individual for delayed rewards. In other words, individuals with higher or lower \u0026ldquo;k\u0026rdquo; may reveal a stronger preference for smaller rewards in the present, or a greater willingness of waiting for larger rewards in the future. After answering each question by the subjects in sequence, this study would sort the \u0026ldquo;k\u0026rdquo; values from small to large to determine the inflection point where the subjects\u0026rsquo; decisions changed\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Noticeably, data with only one inflection point were eligible for each, and those exceeding one inflection point were invalid that should be deleted from this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFor example, in the question \u0026ldquo;Receive ￥100 tomorrow or ￥320 after 365 days\u0026rdquo;, D (delay time)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;365, A (future amount)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;320, and A (current amount)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100, then k=\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\frac{\\frac{320}{100}-1}{365}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u0026asymp;0.006. If the participant chose \u0026ldquo;larger future reward\u0026rdquo; in the first three questions, but \u0026ldquo;smaller immediate reward\u0026rdquo; starting from question 4, then question 4 would be the the inflection point.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.4 Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eData analyzed in this study were sourced from anonymous self-report questionnaires, with potential common methodological biases. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The data would be determined to be approximately normally distributed when both skewness and kurtosis were \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;1 in the normality test. The analysis was finished in three steps: (1) summary of demographic information through descriptive statistics; (2) correlation analysis to clarify the relationship of depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making; and (3) relationship validation through regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) fitting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Result","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTesting of Common Method Bias (CMB)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data were obtained from self-assessment questionnaires. To confirm the existence of CMB, an unrotated exploratory factor analysis was conducted on all items within the questionnaire by Harman\u0026rsquo;s single-factor test. Finally, there were 45 common factors with eigenvalues\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;1, of which the top-1 accounted for 10.43% of the total, smaller than the criterion of 40% proposed by Podsakoff et al. Therefore, our study revealed no serious CMB.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDemographic Characteristics\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a threshold value of 10 points for depressive tendency regarding the total score of the CES-D, 17 points was defined as the high-risk score for depression. In our study, 436 college students had high risk of depression. Table\u0026nbsp;1 presents the descriptive statistics of all variables based on the perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making scores of all participants according to their different demographic characteristics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003eTable 1: Descriptive Statistics and Demographic Differences of Variables\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Taba\" style=\"width: 501px;\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 171px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003en(%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 171px;\" rowspan=\"6\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive Tendency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e208\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.63\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.38(\u0026plusmn;0.17)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.72\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.41(\u0026plusmn;0.16)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFreshmen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.16(\u0026plusmn;0.23)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.97\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSophomores\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.49(\u0026plusmn;0.22)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJuniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.29(\u0026plusmn;0.21)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.48(\u0026plusmn;0.26)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 171px;\" rowspan=\"6\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-control\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e208\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.82(\u0026plusmn;0.33)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.54\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.24\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.52(\u0026plusmn;0.30)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFreshmen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.49(\u0026plusmn;0.37)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.67\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSophomores\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.49(\u0026plusmn;0.47)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJuniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.94(\u0026plusmn;0.45)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45.85\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.91(\u0026plusmn;0.40)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 171px;\" rowspan=\"6\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePerceived Stress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e208\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.20(\u0026plusmn;0.22)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e39.53\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.49(\u0026plusmn;0.23)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFreshmen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.93\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.16(\u0026plusmn;0.23)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.74\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSophomores\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.49(\u0026plusmn;0.22)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJuniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.71\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.29(\u0026plusmn;0.21)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.73\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.48(\u0026plusmn;0.26)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 171px;\" rowspan=\"6\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e208\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.20(\u0026plusmn;0.01)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.44\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.18(\u0026plusmn;0.01)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFreshmen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.18(\u0026plusmn;0.02)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 29px;\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.27\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 500.384px;\" colspan=\"2\" rowspan=\"4\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSophomores\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.17(\u0026plusmn;0.01)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eJuniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.19(\u0026plusmn;0.02)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 69px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSeniors\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 293.727px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 31px;\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 404.63px;\" colspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.22(\u0026plusmn;0.02)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo significant differences were noticed in the indices of depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making among the four academic years and between genders. Therefore, the surveyed college students exhibited high degree of homogeneity in psychological characteristics and decision-making behaviors. During this relatively special period of studying in university stage, students may experience similar academic pressure, social environments, and life rhythms. These common external factors may results in a tendency of consistent psychological state and behavioral performance, thereby masking differences between genders and among grades.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCorrelation Analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study further clarified the relationship of perceived stress and self-control with intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies using a correlation analysis. As shown in Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, there were positive correlations among depressive tendency, intertemporal decision-making, and perceived stress; while self-control was negatively correlated with the three variables.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCorrelational Relationships Among Variables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003edepressive tendency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePerceived Stress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-control\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive tendency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.64**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.65**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.55**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePerceived Stress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37.55\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.71**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e.61**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-control\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e47.69\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.63**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eModerated Mediation Effect of Perceived Stress and Self-Control\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this study, regression analysis was first conducted to examine the relationships among the variables. SEM was further employed using Amos 24.0 to establish a model for moderated mediation analysis. The analysis employed 5,000 bootstrap samples with a 95% confidence interval (CI), controlling for variables such as gender, age, and academic year. On this basis, this study examined the moderated mediation effects of perceived stress and self-control on the relationship between depressive tendencies and intertemporal decision-making (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsequently, the total effect of depressive tendency on intertemporal decision-making was 0.33 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), with a 95% CI excluding 0 (LLCI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03, ULCI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04). The direct effect of depressive tendency on intertemporal decision-making was 0.09 (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), with a 95% CI excluding 0 (LLCI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06, ULCI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.25). All the three paths were significant (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRegression Analysis of the Mediating Model between Perceived Stress and Self-control in Depressive Tendency and Intertime Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth rowspan=\"2\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePerceived Stress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-control\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive Tendency\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17.61\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.34\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-8.23\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.20\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePerceived Stress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.75\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-11.65\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.20\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-control\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-6.23\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.56\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e310.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e280.51\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e125.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"colspec\" align=\"left\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003ctable id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eModerated Mediation Effect Test\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMediation Effect Pathways\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMediation Effect Values\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBoot SE\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBoot LL\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBoot UL\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive Tendency\u0026mdash;Perceived Stress\u0026mdash; Intertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive Tendency\u0026mdash;Self-control\u0026mdash;Intertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDepressive Tendency\u0026mdash;Perceived Stress\u0026mdash; Self-control\u0026mdash;Intertemporal Decision-making\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEventually, the above results supported this moderated mediation model. Specifically, depressive tendency affected intertemporal decision-making through perceived stress and self-control. The specific moderated mediation model is shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn the present study, no significant differences were observed in indices for depressive tendency, perceived stress, self-control, and intertemporal decision-making in the surveyed college students across the four academic years and between genders, suggesting the involvement of multiple factors. It can be interpreted that the psychological characteristics of college students are subjected to the influence of diverse factors since thery are in a critical stage of physical and mental development. Despite the importance of gender and grade, additional factors such as personality traits, family background, and social support system, are also contributors for an individual\u0026rsquo;s psychological state\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. For example, in a research on gender roles, intersex individuals exhibited greater flexibility in coping with stress and emotional regulation. This trait might mask gender differences in depressive tendency and perceived stress. In addition, college students\u0026rsquo; self-control may be influenced by their personal growth experiences and psychological maturity. These factors may overlap between different genders and grades, resulting in insignificant differences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study profoundly analyzed the intertemporal decision-making behavior of college students with depressive tendencies, revealing obvious negative correlation. In other words, individuals with depressive tendencies would be more prone to choosing immediate rewards with smaller returns, rather than delayed rewards with larger returns. This may be related to the existence of more negative expectations for the future in these depressed individuals\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, leading to more significant preference towards instant gratification when making decisions. Simultaneously, due to the anxiety of future uncertainty, individuals with depressive tendencies preferred rewards that can be obtained immediately to reduce the psychological pressure. Besides, these individuals may lack motivation to pursue long-term goals, owing to low mood and lack of interest, further affecting their preference for rewards immediately.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, perceived stress and self-control was a pivotal mediated moderator between depressive tendencies and intertemporal decision-making. As reported previously, college students with depressive tendencies usually experienced higher perceived stress, which would further weaken their self-control in intertemporal decision-making\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e This perceived stress may be developed from academic pressure, interpersonal relationship pressure, future uncertainty and various other inducers. Due to the high perceived stress, students would prefer immediate gratification in decision-making to alleviate current psychological stress. Moreover, perceived stress would disturb students\u0026rsquo; emotional state and cognitive assessment, resulting in more obvious tendency towards immediate rewards to alleviate their current psychological stress, resulting in a higher time discounting rate in intertemporal decision-making\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Besides, college students with depressive tendencies would have suppressed self-control owing to their higher perceived stress. The decline in self-control may make individuals choose impulsively in case of temptations, manifesting as a preference for immediate rewards and a tendency toward immediate gratification\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Moreover, in addition to compromising the performance of intertemporal decision-making, the deficiency of self-control may further exacerbate depressive tendencies, forming a vicious cycle.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eConclusions\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1) Depressive tendencies have a significant negative impact on college students\u0026rsquo; intertemporal decision-making;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e(2) Perceived stress and self-control exhibit moderated mediation effects in the intertemporal decision-making of college students with depressive tendencies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Limitations and Shortcomings","content":"\u003cp\u003eThere are still limitations in this study, despite some promising results. Firstly, our study was carried out based on the inclusion of a group of college students with single regional and group characteristics, leading to weakened external validity of the results. More subjects from different regions and of different types can be enrolled in future research to strengthen the generalizability of the results. Secondly, with potential subjective biases, the psychological scales and questionnaire surveys used in this study might be impossible to fully capture the complexity of the actual decision-making. It necessitates the performance of in-depth study to more comprehensively evaluate relevant variables by integrating behavioral experiments, physiological indicators, etc. Additionally, the present study lacked causal relationship establishment among the variables and validation of intervention measures, which was restricted by the cross-sectional design of this study. Subsequent study can design targeted psychological intervention programs to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the intertemporal decision-making ability of college students with depressive tendencies.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original information presented in the research has been presented in this article/supplementary materials. For specific inquiries, please contact the corresponding author.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study involving human subjects has been reviewed and approved by the School of \u0026nbsp;Sports and Health Sciences at Xi’an Sport University. The study complied with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the School of Sports and Health Sciences at Xi’an Physical Education University. All participants provided written informed consent prior to the commencement of the study, and the research protocols strictly adhered to ethical approval requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are grateful to the students who participated in the survey and to the university leaders and teachers for their support. Special thanks go to Professor Bin Xie for her meticulous guidance in research design and data analysis. We also appreciate the understanding and support from our families. We will continue to work hard to contribute more to the mental health of college students.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor details\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eDepartment of Psychology, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China.\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e Graduate Department, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China.\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e Student Mental Health Center, Student Affairs Office, Xi'an Physical Education University, Xi'an, China.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eScholten M, Read D. 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Acta Physiol Sinica. 2022;54(02):122\u0026ndash;40.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTakahashi T, Oono H, Inoue T, Boku S, Kako Y, Kitaichi Y, Radford MH. Depressive patients are more impulsive and inconsistent in intertime choice behavior for monetary gain and loss than healthy subjects\u0026ndash;an analysis based on Tsallis' statistics. Neuroendocrinol Lett. 2008;29(3):351\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLei P, Zhang H, Zheng W, Zhang L. Does sadness bring myopia: an intertime choice experiment with college students. Front Psychol. 2024;15:1345951.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYiqiu H, Zhenghua Liu. An Intervention Study of Psychological Health of Depressed College Students: the Different Effects of Different Types of School Support. 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J Psychol Sci. 2017;40(05):1098\u0026ndash;103.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu Zhang Q, Zhang, Wansen Yan. Effect of stress perception on adolescents' intertemporal choice: the moderating role of impulsivity system. Psychol Monthly. 2024;19(17):106\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen X, Guibing He. The Effect of Stress on Intertemporal Choice. Chin J Appl Psychol. 2014;20(01):3\u0026ndash;10.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaumeister RF, Vohs KD, Tice DM. The strength model of self-control. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2007;16(6):351\u0026ndash;5.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThaler RH, Shefrin HM. An economic theory of self-control. J Polit Econ. 1981;89(2):392\u0026ndash;406.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJimura K, Chushak MS, Braver TS. 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The Relationship between Stress Perception and Mobile Phone Dependence in Middle School Students: The Chain Mediating Role of Anxiety and Self-Control (Master dissertation, Hainan Normal University). Master. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://link.cnki.net/doi/10.27719/d.cnki\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://link.cnki.net/doi/10.27719/d.cnki\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e.ghnsf.2024.000060doi:10.27719/d.cnki.ghnsf.2024.000060\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\".ghnsf.2024.000060doi:10.27719/d.cnki.ghnsf.2024.000060\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJiang Y, Jang C. Et al. Effects of emotion on intertemporal decision-making: Explanation from the single dimension priority model. Acta Physiol Sinica. 2022;54(02):122\u0026ndash;40.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Depressive tendency, Intertemporal decision-making, Perceived stress, Self-control","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6444734/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6444734/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObjective: \u003c/strong\u003eTo decipher the impact of perceived stress and self-control on intertemporal decision-making among college students with depressive tendencies, so as to understand the underlying psychological mechanisms through which depressive tendency influenced decision-making, thereby providing theoretical foundation for promoting psychological recovery in depressed students and enhancing their decision-making through educational interventions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodology:\u003c/strong\u003e This study employed an online questionnaire survey, with the collection of 1,469 responses totally. There were 436 valid questionnaires with a depressive tendency score greater than 10 after the exclusion of incomplete and invariant responses. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and moderated mediation tests were adopted to explore the relationships of depressive tendency, perceived stress and self-control with intertemporal decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResult:\u003c/strong\u003e Depressive tendency correlated negatively with intertemporal decision-making obviously. Perceived stress played a mediating role between depressive tendency and intertemporal decision-making, while self-control ability further act as a mediated moderator between perceived stress and intertemporal decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u003c/strong\u003e Depressive tendency leads to the preference of college students to smaller immediate rewards, which may be the underlying psychological factor that influence their intertemporal decision-making. It can be interpreted that due to the presence of depression, there may be higher perceived stress, which in turn impairs self-control and affects decision-making. Therefore, in the educational practice to enhance the decision-making ability of college students, cultivation and training can be carried out in aspects such as maintaining positive emotions, strengthening stress management, and improving self-control ability.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of Depressive Tendency on Intertemporal Decision-Making in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effects of Perceived Stress and Self-Control","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-23 07:08:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6444734/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"99bd528e-5c96-4305-92c6-37a5291881ca","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-06-17T08:23:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-23 07:08:41","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6444734","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6444734","identity":"rs-6444734","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}