When Intertemporal Rewards Are Hedonic, Larger Units of Wait Time Boost Patience
五项实验发现，用大单位（如年）比小单位（如天）表达等待时间更能提升耐心，尤其当奖励是享乐型（如巧克力）而非实用型（如现金）时，因为大单位让人感觉等待时间更短，且享乐型奖励更依赖直觉而非计算。
In intertemporal choices between smaller‐sooner (SS) and larger‐later (LL) rewards, five studies reveal that patience for the LL option is influenced by an interactive effect of the measurement units used to express wait time (large vs. small) and the type of the reward (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Specifically, larger time units boost patience, but more so when rewards are hedonic rather than utilitarian. In line with the numerosity heuristic, the effect of time units on patience is mediated by larger time units shrinking wait time perception. This effect arises because hedonic (vs. utilitarian) rewards promote a reliance on heuristics rather than systematic calculations. Therefore, a more calculative mindset diminishes the effect of units even for hedonic rewards and eliminates the hedonic‐utilitarian asymmetry. These results contribute to research on numerosity, intertemporal choice, and hedonic‐utilitarian differences, and offer a simple tool for practitioners to influence patience.