potentiating further disadvantage), with individuals with innate propensities to discount the future being at greatest risk of developing addictive disorders and in turn become progressively more impulsive, and vice versa. This recursive perspective further complicates the phenotypic picture, as a reliably observed level of discounting would nonetheless reflect influences from both innate factors and the longstanding effects of chronic addictive behavior. As such, fully characterizing the genetic basis of discounting in nonclinical samples will be critical foundational research. Prospective studies characterizing both genetic factors and addictive behavior across the lifespan will ultimately be essential for validly investigating discounting as an endophenotype for addictive disorders.
