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Cohort effects in children's delay of gratification
Stephanie M Carlson1, Yuichi Shoda2, Ozlem Ayduk3
1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota.
Developmental Psychology
|June 26, 2018
Summary
Contrary to popular belief, children today demonstrate improved delay of gratification skills compared to previous decades. This study found a linear increase in waiting times, indicating enhanced executive function skills in younger generations.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The Marshmallow Test, originating in the 1960s, assesses children's ability to delay gratification.
- Popular belief suggests modern children have diminished delay of gratification skills.
- Previous research has not comparatively analyzed delay of gratification across different decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in children's delay of gratification performance over several decades.
- To challenge the common assumption that modern children prefer immediate rewards over delayed ones.
- To analyze longitudinal data on delay of gratification in U.S. children across three birth cohorts.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of original data from 840 U.S. children aged 3-5 years.
- Comparison of delay times across three birth cohorts: late 1960s, 1980s, and 2000s.
- Statistical control for age, sex, geography, and sampling variations.
Main Results:
- A significant linear increase in delay of gratification was observed over time (p < .0001).
- Children in the 2000s waited, on average, 2 minutes longer than those in the 1960s.
- Children in the 1980s also showed longer waiting times compared to the 1960s cohort.
Conclusions:
- Findings contradict the notion of declining delay of gratification in contemporary children.
- Potential contributing factors include advances in symbolic thought, technology, and preschool education.
- Further research is needed to confirm findings in diverse populations and identify causal mechanisms.