Karolina M. Lempert | Faculty Profiles

Diplomas/Degrees

Ph.D., New York University (2016)

B.A., Harvard University (2009)

Recent Courses

Advanced Topics In Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognition & Affect

Directed Individual Research Emerging Scholars Program

Doctoral Thesis Supervision II

Doctoral Thesis Supervision III

Doctoral Thesis IV: Dissertation Supervision

Ongoing Doctoral Thesis Supervision

Psychological Research II

Psychological Research III

Research Interests

My research seeks to understand how people make decisions about what they want, both in the short-term and long-term. Decisions vary so much across people and situations. My research tries to explain this variability, using techniques such as neuroimaging, pupillometry, behavioral experiments, and computational modeling. I am especially interested in how our memories and our emotions impact our decisions about the future, especially when we have to trade off smaller, sooner rewards with larger, later rewards. I hope that the results of my research will not only help with the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric conditions that are marked by disordered decision-making (such as addiction), but I hope it will also inspire strategies to help everyone make decisions that are in their long-term best interest.

Chapters

Lempert, K.M. (2025). Behavioral economics and neuroeconomics: a brief history and overview in Vijayaraghavan, S., Felsen, G. (eds.) Neuroscience and Society. Routledge CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.

Lempert, K.M. (2025). The role of memory in temporal discounting in Fareri, D.S., Smith, D.V., Lockwood, P. (eds.) Neuroeconomics: Core Topics and Current Directions. Springer Nature.

Lempert, K.M. & Phelps, E.A. (2016). Affect in economic decision-making in Barrett, L.F., Lewis, M., Haviland-Jones, J.M. (eds.) Handbook of Emotions, Fourth Edition. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.

Lempert, K.M. & Phelps, E.A. (2014). Neuroeconomics of Emotion and Decision-Making in Glimcher, P.W. & Fehr, E. (eds.) Neuroeconomics: Decision making and the Brain, 2^nd edition. London: Elsevier, Inc.

Phelps, E.A., Lempert, K.M., Sokol-Hessner, P. (2014). Emotion and decision-making: Multiple modulatory neural circuits. Annual Reviews of Neuroscience, 37, 263-87.

Articles

Ott, C.A., Voce, A., Grinband, J., Lopez-Castro, T., Fertuck, E.A., Stanley, D.A., Lempert, K.M. (2025). The borderline personality disorder feature of identity instability predicts temporal discounting in a community sample: an exploratory study. Personality Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/27000710251374485

Garcia Campos L.S., Lempert, K.M. (2025). Negative news exposure does not affect risk or ambiguity aversion. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1485346. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1485346

Van Geen, C., Cohen, M.S., Lempert, K.M., MacNear, K.A., Reckers, F.M., Zaneski, L., Wolk, D.A., Kable, J.W. (2025). Age-Related Differences in Trust Decisions: When Memory Fails and Appearances Prevail. Social, Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, nsaf032. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaf032

Akilov, D., Lempert, K.M. (2025). Semantic fluency is associated with reduced temporal discounting. Journal of Memory and Language, 142, 104616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2025.104616

Lempert, K.M., Huber, B., Batistuzzo, M.C., Sheshachala, K., Hezel, D.M., de Joode, N.T., Marincowitz, C., Lochner, C., Stein, D.J., Narayanaswamy, J.C., van den Heuvel, O.A., Wall, M., Simpson, H.B. (2024). Delay discounting and risk tolerance in obsessive-compulsive disorder: results from the Global OCD study. Clinical Psychological Science, 13, 542-557. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026241289927

Miller, P., Kable, J.W., Lempert, K.M. (2024). Willingness to wait outperforms delay discounting in predicting drinking severity. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 122, 247-258. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.4210

Lempert, K.M., Parthasarathi, T., Linhares, S., Ruh, N., Kable, J.W. (2024). Positive autobiographical memory recall does not influence temporal discounting: an internal meta-analysis of experimental studies. Journal of Economic Psychology, 103, 102730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2024.102730

Lempert, K. M.*, Schaefer, L.*, Breslow, D., Peterson, T. D., Kable, J., & McGuire, J. (2023). Statistical information about reward timing is insufficient for promoting optimal persistence decisions. Cognition, 237, 105468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105468

Lempert, K. M., Carballeira, C., Sehgal, S., & Kable, J. (2023). Pupillometric evidence for a temporal expectations-based account of persistence under temporal uncertainty. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 23, 705-717. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-023-01100-9

Batistuzzo, M.C., Sheshachala, K., Alschuler, D.M., Hezel, D.M., Lewis-Fernandez, R., de Joode, N.T., Vriend, C., Lempert, K.M., Narayan, M., Marincowitz, C., Lochner, C., Stein, D.J., Narayanaswamy, J.C., van den Heuvel, O.A., Simpson, H.B., & Wall, M. (2022). Cross-national harmonization of neurocognitive assessment across five sites in a global study. Neuropsychology. Online ahead of print.

Bulley, A., Lempert, K.M., Conwell, C., Irish, M., & Schacter, D.L. (2022). Intertemporal choice reflects value comparison rather than self-control: insights from confidence judgments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 377(1866): 20210338.

Lempert, K.M., Cohen, M.S., MacNear, K.A., Reckers, F.M., Zaneski, L., Wolk, D.A., & Kable, J.W. (2022). Aging is associated with maladaptive episodic memory-guided social decision-making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(42): e2208681119.

Lempert, K.M., MacNear, K.A., Wolk, D.A., Kable, J.W. (2020). Links between autobiographical memory richness and temporal discounting in older adults. Scientific Reports 10: 6431.

Lempert, K.M., Mechanic-Hamilton, D.J., Xie, L., Wisse, L.E.M., de Flores, R., Wang, J., Das, S.R., Yushkevich, P.A., Wolk, D.A., Kable, J.W. (2020). Neural and behavioral correlates of episodic memory are associated with temporal discounting in older adults. Neuropsychologia 146: 107549.

Lempert, K.M.*, Steinglass, J.E.*, Pinto, A., Kable, J.W., Simpson, H.B. (2019). Can delay discounting deliver on the promise of RDoC? Review. Psychological Medicine, 49, 190-99.

DiMenichi, B.C., Lempert, K.M., Bejjani, C., Tricomi, E. (2018). Writing about past failures attenuates cortisol responses and sustained attention deficits following psychosocial stress. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12:45.

Lempert, K.M., McGuire, J.T., Hazeltine, D.B., Phelps, E.A., Kable, J.W. (2018). The effects of acute stress on the calibration of persistence. Neurobiology of Stress, 8, 1-9.

Steinglass, J.E.*, Lempert, K.M.*, Choo, T., Wall, M., Walsh, B.T., Fyer, A., Schneier, F., Simpson, H.B. (2017). Temporal discounting across three psychiatric disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder. Depression & Anxiety, 34, 463-470.

Lempert, K.M., Speer, M.E., Delgado, M.R., Phelps, E.A. (2017). Positive autobiographical memory retrieval reduces temporal discounting. Social, Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 12, 1584-1593.

Lempert, K.M., Lackovic, S.F., Tobe, R.H., Glimcher, P.W., Phelps, E.A. (2017). Propranolol reduces reference-dependence in intertemporal choice. Social, Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 12, 1394-1401.

Lempert, K.M. & Tricomi, E. (2016). The value of being wrong: Intermittent feedback delivery alters the striatal response to negative feedback. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 6, 1-14.

Lempert, K.M. & Phelps, E.A. (2016). The malleability of intertemporal choice. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20, 64-74.

Lempert, K.M., Johnson, E., Phelps, E.A. (2016). Emotional arousal predicts intertemporal choice. Emotion, 16, 647-56.

Tricomi, E. & Lempert, K.M. (2015). Value and probability coding in a feedback-based learning task utilizing food rewards. Journal of Neurophysiology, 113, 4-13.

Reppert, T.R.*, Lempert, K.M.*, Glimcher, P.W., Shadmehr, R. (2015). Modulation of saccade vigor during value-based decision-making. Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 15369-78.

Lempert, K.M., Glimcher, P.W., Phelps, E.A. (2015). Emotional arousal and discount rate in intertemporal choice are reference dependent. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144, 366-73.

Lempert, K.M., Chen, Y., Fleming, S.M. (2015). Relating pupil dilation and metacognitive confidence during auditory decision-making. PLoS One, 10:e0126588.

Lempert, K.M., Porcelli, A.J., Delgado, M.R., Tricomi, E. (2012). Individual differences in delay discounting under acute stress: the role of trait perceived stress. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 251.

Lempert, K.M. & Pizzagalli, D.A. (2010). Delay discounting and future-directed thinking in anhedonic individuals. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 41, 258-264.

Conference Presentations

Ott, C.A., Procida, F., Lempert, K.M. (2025, March). Entorhinal cortex activation during precise temporal memory retrieval is associated with temporal discounting. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society conference. Boston, MA.

Gittelson, H.J., Lempert, K.M. (2025, March). Effects of episodic future thinking and perspective taking on climate change risk perception and action. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society conference. Boston, MA.

Poole, O., Stites, S.D., Mechanic-Hamilton, D., Coykendall, C., Wolk, D.A., Kable, J.W., Lempert, K.M. (2025, February). Associations between cognition and temporal discounting in cognitively normal older adults. Poster presented at the biannual Dallas Aging and Cognition conference. Dallas, TX.

Lempert, K.M., Zaneski, L., Ramakrishnan, A., Wolf, D.A., Kable, J.W. (2024, October). Serotonin increases willingness to wait for delayed rewards. Poster presented at the 23^rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroeconomics. Cascais, Portugal.

Grant, J., Ott, C.A., Garcia Campos, L.S., Clewett, D., Lempert, K.M. (2024, October). Associations between duration memory and temporal discounting. Poster presented at the 23^rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroeconomics. Cascais, Portugal.

Miller, P., Konova, A., Lempert, K.M. (2024, October). Delay discounting and willingness to wait in individuals with cocaine use disorder. Poster presented at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroeconomics. Cascais, Portugal.

Akilov, D., Lempert, K.M. (2024, April). Semantic memory and temporal discounting. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society conference. Toronto, ON, Canada.

Ott, C. Voce, A., Grinband, J., Fertuck, E., Lopez-Castro, T., Stanley, D.A., Lempert, K.M. (2024, March). Relating temporal discounting to the DSM criteria of borderline personality disorder. Poster presented at Society for Affective Science conference. New Orleans, LA.

Lempert, K.M. “Incidental positive affect and temporal discounting.” Talk at Society for Affective Science conference. New Orleans, LA.

Lempert, K.M., Huber, B., Batistuzzo, M.C., Sheshachala, K., Hezel, D.M., de Joode, N.T., Marincowitz, C., Lochner, C., Stein, D.J., Narayanaswamy, J.C., van den Heuvel, O.A., Wall, M., Simpson, H.B. (2023, October). “Delay discounting and risk tolerance in obsessive-compulsive disorder: results from the Global OCD study.” Poster presented at the 21^st Annual Society for Neuroeconomics conference. Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Garcia, L., Lempert, K.M. (2023, May). The effects of negative news exposure on risk and ambiguity aversion. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. Washington, DC.

Lempert, K.M., Cohen, M.S., Van Geen, C., Reckers, F.M., MacNear, K.A., Zaneski, L., Das, S.R., Wolk, D.A., Kable, J.W. (2022, October). “Amygdala structural integrity is associated with social feedback-based learning in older adults.” Poster presented at the 20th Annual Society for Neuroeconomics conference. Crystal City, VA.

Invited Presentations

"Not just self-control: the role of memory in temporal discounting." Invited talk in the inaugural Rising Stars session given at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society conference. Boston, MA.

“Individual differences in temporal discounting: the role of memory for time.” Invited talk at the Context and Affective Memory Talk Series. Virtual.

“Relating individual differences in learning to markers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in older adults.” Invited talk at National Institute on Aging Computational Approaches Workshop. Virtual.

Grants

2026 – 2028. Brain & Behavior Research Foundation NARSAD Young Investigator Grant ($70K total direct costs) Title: Multiple intertemporal decision systems in the human brain.

2023 – 2026. National Institute on Aging / NIH R15 ($300K total direct costs) Title: Individual and age differences in temporal discounting: the role of memory for time.

Honors and Accomplishments

2024, National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow

2021, Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award

2017, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship

2016, Douglas H. & Katharine Fryer Thesis Fellowship for Best Doctoral Thesis in Psychology (New York University)

2013, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Professional Activities

Advisory Board member, Scientific Research Network on Decision Neuroscience and Aging (2022-2027).

Board member, Society for Neuroeconomics (2022-2025).

Program committee chair, Society for Neuroeconomics conference (2023-2025).

Ad hoc reviewer for: Psychological Science; Emotion; Cognition; Psychoneuroendocrinology; Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics; Psychological Bulletin; Journal of Experimental Psychology: General; Journal of Experimental Psychology: LMC; Journal of Neuroscience; JAMA Psychiatry; Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience; Consciousness and Cognition; Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience; PloS One; Behavioural Brain Research; Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging; Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization; BioMed Central Psychiatry; Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science; Acta Psychologica; Psychonomic Bulletin & Review; Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied; Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences; Scientific Reports; Human Brain Mapping; Journal of General Psychology; Motivation Science; Experimental Psychology; Judgment and Decision Making; Quarterly Journal in Experimental Psychology; Psychophysiology; Journal of Experimental Social Psychology; Behavioral Neuroscience; Frontiers in Psychiatry; Neuropsychologia; Neurobiology of Stress; Cognition and Emotion; Neurobiology of Aging; American Psychologist

University Service

Co-Chair, Emerging Scholars Program, Derner School of Psychology

Research Standards Committee, Derner School of Psychology

Neuroscience Committee, Derner School of Psychology

Co-Chair, Scholarship & Creative Works Conference Committee, Adelphi University