Yes, there’s actually a literature on how exponential discounting combined with uncertainty can look like hyperbolic discounting. There are apparently two lines of thought on this:
There is less hyperbolic discounting than it seems. What has been observed as “irrational” hyperbolic discounting is actually just rational decision making using exponential discounting when faced with uncertainty. See Can We Really Observe Hyperbolic Discounting?
Evolution has baked hyperbolic discounting into us because it actually approximates optimal decision making in “typical” situations. See Uncertainty and Hyperbolic Discounting.
Yes, there’s actually a literature on how exponential discounting combined with uncertainty can look like hyperbolic discounting. There are apparently two lines of thought on this:
There is less hyperbolic discounting than it seems. What has been observed as “irrational” hyperbolic discounting is actually just rational decision making using exponential discounting when faced with uncertainty. See Can We Really Observe Hyperbolic Discounting?
Evolution has baked hyperbolic discounting into us because it actually approximates optimal decision making in “typical” situations. See Uncertainty and Hyperbolic Discounting.