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The Attention Training Technique improves Children's ability to delay gratification: A controlled comparison with
Joanne Murray1, Helen Scott1, Claire Connolly1
1Universities of Staffordshire & Keele, UK.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|February 23, 2018
Summary
Young children trained with the Attention Training Technique (ATT) showed improved ability to delay gratification and better verbal inhibition. This cognitive skill is crucial for later psychological, health, and academic success.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- The capacity for delayed gratification in early childhood predicts numerous positive later-life outcomes.
- Metacognitive interventions may enhance this crucial self-regulatory skill.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the Attention Training Technique (ATT), a metacognitive intervention, improves delay of gratification in young children.
- To compare ATT's efficacy against an active control (Progressive Muscle Relaxation - PMR) and a no-intervention group.
Main Methods:
- 101 children aged 5-6 years were randomly assigned to ATT, PMR, or no-intervention groups.
- Pre- and post-intervention assessments included delay of gratification (Marshmallow Test) and verbal inhibition (Day/Night Task).
Main Results:
- Children receiving ATT demonstrated significantly longer delays of gratification compared to both PMR and no-intervention groups.
- ATT also enhanced verbal inhibition compared to the no-intervention group; PMR did not yield significant improvements in this area.
Conclusions:
- The Attention Training Technique (ATT) offers a simple, effective method for enhancing young children's delay of gratification.
- Improvements in delay of gratification are linked to better psychological, cognitive, health, and academic outcomes later in life.