Who delays gratification and why?

[lpetrich]

The Marshmallow Test: What Does It Really Measure? - The Atlantic

Why Rich Kids Are So Good at the Marshmallow Test
Affluence—not willpower—seems to be what’s behind some kids' capacity to delay gratification.

The marshmallow test is one of the most famous pieces of social-science research: Put a marshmallow in front of a child, tell her that she can have a second one if she can go 15 minutes without eating the first one, and then leave the room. Whether she’s patient enough to double her payout is supposedly indicative of a willpower that will pay dividends down the line, at school and eventually at work. Passing the test is, to many, a promising signal of future success.

However, a recent redoing of that work has cast doubt on that conclusion: Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replication Investigating Links Between Early Delay of Gratification and Later Outcomes - Tyler W. Watts, Greg J. Duncan, Haonan Quan, 2018

Ultimately, the new study finds limited support for the idea that being able to delay gratification leads to better outcomes. Instead, it suggests that the capacity to hold out for a second marshmallow is shaped in large part by a child’s social and economic background—and, in turn, that that background, not the ability to delay gratification, is what’s behind kids’ long-term success.

The big difference is income security -- if one's experience is that future stuff is likely to be present, then one will conclude that the two marshamallows are worth sacrificing a single marshmallow for. But if it isn't, then it won't be.

These findings point to the idea that poorer parents try to indulge their kids when they can, while more-affluent parents tend to make their kids wait for bigger rewards. Hair dye and sweet treats might seem frivolous, but purchases like these are often the only indulgences poor families can afford. And for poor children, indulging in a small bit of joy today can make life feel more bearable, especially when there’s no guarantee of more joy tomorrow.

 

[rousseau]

To me the second study sounds like it re-validates the first study. When looking at all socio-economic backgrounds there was a correlation between wealth/ability to delay gratification. When looking at those with low wealth there was minimal/no delayed gratification because they controlled for wealth.

I don't know what conclusions can reasonably be drawn from this, but linking the gratification to income security based on these results seems like a leap.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Well, the marshmallow test has certainly been used by conservatives to justify inequality. I had no idea the original study sample size was so small.

 

[Random Person]

I think the idea of delaying gratification comes from an agrarian heritage. If you're growing crops or raising cattle you're going to have to work hard before you harvest the payoff.

 

[steve_bank]

There is a specific area of the brain involved with impule control.

What has been called the Protestant work ethic and delayed gratification, working over time foregoing short term gains for long term sustainable gains.