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Abstract
Classic models of intertemporal choice often assume that individuals integrate attributes within options to construct value, leading to predictions of patient behavior under hyperbolic discounting. However, recent evidence suggests that people differ in how they search for information—some compare attributes across options (comparative search), while others integrate attributes within options (integrative search). In this study, we test whether these search patterns alone can account for observed differences in intertemporal choice. Using drift diffusion models (DDMs) fit to empirical data from participants, we simulate choices under two value functions: one comparative and one integrative. Without incorporating gaze, the integrative value function predicts more patient choices than the comparative function, contrary to empirical findings. However, when gaze-informed sampling patterns are included, this prediction reverses and matches the true data: comparative search leads to more LL choices, and integrative search leads to fewer. This flip aligns model predictions with observed behavior, demonstrating that sampling patterns fundamentally alter the decision process. Importantly, this reversal occurs without changing model parameters, highlighting the critical role of attention and information acquisition in shaping choice. Our results suggest that neglecting search behavior leads models astray, and that incorporating gaze can reconcile discrepancies between theory and data. These findings underscore the importance of modeling not just what people choose, but how they gather information to make those choices.
