Future Cognition and Decision-Making: The Influence of Episodic Future Thinking on Delay Discounting

未来情景思维(Episodic Future Thinking, EFT)是个体具备的想象或模拟个人未来可能发生事件的能力。延迟折扣(Delay Discounting)是在跨期决策中贬低未来奖励的倾向。近年来，有关未来情景思维的研究受到认知、神经心理学与神经影像学的重视，并实现了重大进展。文章通过系统综述揭示，EFT通过情景记忆系统的模拟重构、主观时间知觉的调节、预期情绪效价的评估、元认知监控及未来自我连续性的增强等多路径降低延迟折扣率。然而，现有研究在机制交互性、样本多样性与生态效度等方面存在局限，未来应对不同机制的交互性进行深入探究，并加强其生态效度，探索临床转化的干预路径，推动EFT在行为干预中的实际应用。Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) refers to an individual’s ability to imagine or simulate potential future events. Delay discounting describes the tendency to devalue future rewards in intertemporal decision-making. In recent years, research on EFT has garnered significant attention in cognitive, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging studies, leading to notable advancements. This systematic review reveals that EFT reduces delay discounting rates through multiple pathways: the simulation and reconstruction of episodic memory systems, the regulation of subjective time perception, the evaluation of anticipated emotional valence, metacognitive monitoring, and the enhancement of future self-continuity. However, current research faces limitations in understanding the interactivity of mechanisms, sample diversity, and ecological validity. Future studies should delve deeper into the interplay of these mechanisms, improve ecological validity, explore clinical translation pathways for interventions, and promote the practical application of EFT in behavioral interventions.