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Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children
Published on: September 1, 2018
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Experiencing regret about a choice helps children learn to delay gratification.
Teresa McCormack1, Eimear O'Connor1, Jessica Cherry1
1School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Experiencing regret helps children learn to delay gratification. Children who regretted choosing a smaller, immediate reward were more likely to wait for a larger reward later.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Delayed gratification is crucial for long-term success.
- Understanding the emotional and cognitive factors influencing children's decision-making is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of regret in children's ability to delay gratification.
- To determine if experiencing regret influences future choices regarding delayed rewards.
Main Methods:
- Children aged 6-7 made choices between immediate smaller rewards and delayed larger rewards.
- Regret was measured based on children's reactions to not waiting.
- Children faced the same choice the following day to assess behavioral changes.
Main Results:
- Children who experienced regret after choosing the immediate reward were more likely to delay gratification the next day.
- This effect persisted even when controlling for cognitive ability and reward preference.
Conclusions:
- Experiencing regret can serve as a learning mechanism for improving self-control in children.
- Regret may play a significant role in the development of delayed gratification skills.
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