Future tense can reduce present bias in infrastructure design

Design professionals (N = 261) were randomly assigned to either a future or present-framed project description before recommending design attributes for an infrastructure project. The future condition led designers to propose a significantly longer infrastructure design life, useful life to the community, and acceptable return on financial investment. The findings suggest that using future framing when soliciting sustainable design expertise can be a straightforward and inexpensive way to lessen present bias.