Can You Wait? The Effects of Induced Gratitude and Pride on Children's Ability to Delay Gratification

Willis, Kelcie

Publication

Can You Wait? The Effects of Induced Gratitude and Pride on Children's Ability to Delay Gratification

Willis, Kelcie

Date

2016

Additional date(s)

2016-05-19

Abstract

Delay of gratification refers to the ability to wait for a preferred reward over an immediate reward. For children, this ability serves as an important predictor of future outcomes. Most research points to cognitive processes as the key strategy for aiding in children's ability to delay gratification, yet new evidence with adults suggests that positive emotions might also be beneficial for this ability. This study is the first to analyze how positive emotions influence a child's ability to delay gratification. Four and five-year-old children (n = 57) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions - pride, gratitude, and control - and completed an emotion-inducing drawing task prior to the delay of gratification task. In this study, children were told they could have more of a preferred reward if they waited for 15 min. The results revealed that children in the pride condition delayed gratification most successfully as evidenced by their ability to wait longer and use more distraction behaviors than children in the control condition. Therefore, teachers and parents should consider implementing interventions that increase a child's sense of authentic pride into their schools and homes.