RX Patient Tools
Use these quick guides before reading the article, or return to them when you need help preparing questions for a doctor.
Delayed gratification, or deferred gratification, is the resistance to the temptation of an immediate pleasure in the hope of obtaining a valuable and long-lasting reward in the long term. In other words, delayed gratification describes the process that the subject undergoes when the subject resists the temptation of an immediate reward in preference for a later reward. Generally, delayed gratification is associated with resisting a smaller but more immediate reward in order to receive a larger or more enduring reward later.[rx] A growing body of literature has linked the ability to delay gratification to a host of other positive outcomes, including academic success, physical health, psychological health, and social competence.
The concepts of delayed gratification, self-control, and self-regulation are often used interchangeably and inconsistently. The ability to delay an impulse for an immediate reward to receive a more favorable reward at a later time is the standard definition of delayed gratification. Studies have shown that the ability to delay reward is present in highly successful people.
With further investigation, the umbrella term ‘self-regulation’ has beneath it the construct of self-control (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007). Beneath self-control is a continuum of separate constructs that include impulse control and ego resiliency (Funder & Block, 1989). Gratification delay holds the space between these two constructs in the continuum.
Initial theories on delayed gratification focused on the construct as a personality trait and predictor of future success. Further investigations have questioned the adaptive nature of the construct. Researchers have examined whether it is always beneficial to delay gratification, denying pleasure as well.
Mischel et al. (2010) theorized that delay of gratification improves over a lifespan. Parents will recognize this when a toddler throws a fit after having to wait five minutes for a cookie. Our physical bodies recognize pleasure as serving us in survival. Food, sleep, water, and sex all provide the means to survive and pass on our genetic material. Intuitively, we would have the natural impulse to receive these things as pleasurable.
Within self-control and self-regulation theory (Baumeister et al., 2007), the following are the five domains of gratification delay:
- Food
- Physical pleasures
- Social interactions
- Money
- Achievement
It is interesting to note that discounting delay remains strong throughout the lifespan (Green, Fry, & Myerson, 1994); however, no goal is automatically assured. Delaying gratification poses a risk in that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Receiving $100 today, therefore, is more desirable than gaining $500 in three years, when that three-year mark may not ever be reached.
Examples of Delayed Gratification
The ability to exert “willpower” and delay the attainment of pleasure reveals certain types of inhibitory behavior. Here are a few ways someone might delay gratification in each of the five domains.
1. Food
With 37.7% of Americans experiencing obesity and chronic diseases, delayed gratification and the implications of fast food culture are of utmost concern (Shuval et al., 2016). The American Cancer Society has linked time constraints and the lack of forward-thinking to the decrease of people eating healthy, home-prepared food.
It requires considerable effort to override the instant gratification of satiating, low-nutrient food that is readily available in favor of better overall health.
Peak performance takes an extreme delay of gratification. Someone who wants to get healthy has to view themselves in a personal peak state instead of as someone who might be featured on the cover of a magazine.
Healthy food intake requires eating a smaller slice of cake, once in a while, instead of ingesting the whole cake. Food habits add up quickly, and a healthy lifestyle will always serve someone better than a quick fix or fad diet.
2. Physical pleasures
Rates of addiction are soaring. Overcoming addiction takes increased levels of delayed gratification and vast improvements in self-awareness. Mueller et al. (2009) performed a study in that regard examining the cessation of smoking.
The experiment reinforced abstinence with increasing, consistent, and decreasing monetary rewards. The most reinforcing results were the increasing monetary rewards, showing that consistently and incrementally reinforcing abstinence will produce more significant results in delayed gratification.
3. Social interactions
As we know, adolescent brains grow faster in the emotional portion than the logical portion. Delaying the gratification of social engagement in favor of long-term academic goals is a good example.
There is a great deal of motivation derivation involved in this type of impulse control, however (Bembenutty, 2008). Let’s face it, a night out at a party is desirable and pleasurable for most adolescents. Overriding the impulse to be socially included in favor of studying for an exam is the ultimate college test.
4. Financial wellbeing
With easy access to fast product delivery, it can be challenging to save money for retirement. Creating the retirement of your dreams will require delayed gratification.
If your goal is to downsize and live in a van to see all of the National Parks, you need to be hyper-vigilant about foregoing the temptation of impulse purchases that pop up in our social media feeds. Making the salient goal delicious and dreamy is the key function used to override the impulses.
5. Achievement
Work ethic varies from person to person. High achievers choose to work for long-term goals consistently. Avoiding distraction, staying self-motivated, and having a strong connection with why the goal is important are key examples of delaying gratification in favor of long-term achievement.
Why Is Delayed Gratification So Important?
Instant gratification is a habit. Learning to delay the impulse for immediate pleasure in favor of long-term satisfaction is a skill required for incremental and long-term growth. Fully recognizing and being aware of the impulse gives way to higher goal attainment and the formation of new neural pathways through neuroplasticity and new habit formation.
Successful goal attainment in any area will require the recognition of a conscious choice. A college kid may have to choose between attending a fun party in favor of studying for the following day’s exam. While the party may be epic, choosing it over the successful completion of an important college course would be pleasure over patience.
The ability to override the impulse to seek instant pleasure needs to be nurtured in children. They must learn that impulses pass, but long-term goals will continue to be distant without real-time choice. Delaying gratification in certain areas allows for that choice to be favorable and worthy of growth.
Rates of obesity, risky sexual behaviors, and substance misuse are skyrocketing. This brings into question the ability to tap into the use of delayed gratification. Measuring the ability has had a slow journey, but recent advances have revealed hope for application in public health.
With the far-reaching implications of the inability to forego impulses in adulthood, the advancement of measurement capabilities offers new insight into interventions (Hoerger, Quirk, & Weed, 2011). Increased understanding of demographics in delayed gratification indicators is incredibly important in future research. The more we know about the “how” of self-regulation, the better it can be utilized as a means for growth in children and adults.
Prospect imagery is a way to induce a willingness to delay gratification (Cheng, Shein, & Chiou, 2011). Through priming, research has shown that we don’t need a lifespan to improve our mindset toward future focus. To improve overall well-being in the five domains of self-regulation, helping someone re-emphasize their future self enables improvement in motivation and delayed gratification abilities.
Delayed Gratification in Relationships
Divorce rates may be an indicator of problems in delayed gratification.
Impulsivity in communication, overuse of gratification delay concerning sexual behavior, and far-reaching implications in ego depletion have lasting effects on marriages. Mature relationships effectively utilize delayed gratification in different ways.
Trust is a key component in delayed gratification (Michaelson, de la Vega, Chatham, & Munakata, 2013), and it is foundational in relationships. When they say communication is key in relationships, they really mean effective communication is vital. Trust is a big part of that communication.
Withholding the impulse to react in anger to something your partner has done or said is vital. Trusting that your partner will hear what you have to say and actively listen when communicating in a calm state is a building block for a long-lasting relationship.
Technology has begun to affect communication in relationships. Due to the instant gratification available in texting versus actively listening, society has started to have trouble with constructive communication.
Being mindful of your use of such devices in close proximity to loved ones has an impact on in-person communication abilities. While it is wonderful to connect via text, when face to face, it is more impactful to connect by putting down the device.
We are sexual beings, and delaying gratification in sexual behavior is not intellectually simple, even for adults. Responsible sexual behavior requires delayed gratification abilities that are like a dial. Relationships mature over time, and with that maturity comes changes in sexual activity.
Marriages suffer when couples adopt too much gratification delay. Giving into pleasurable impulse with a spouse is a benefit to marital bliss. Turning the dial up or down in favor of intimacy is a gateway to healthier relationships.
Healthy marriages have healthy sex lives. Many experts recommend planning “sex dates” into a couple’s schedule. As Sonja Lyubomirsky (2008) explains in The How of Happiness, increasing positive emotion with delayed gratification and variety in sexual behavior is a great example. That intimate, physical connection is important.
The Famous Marshmallow Study
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, research by Walter Mischel gave insight into the role that self-control and delayed gratification play in future success.
A selected group of preschool-aged children from the Stanford University community were placed in a room with marshmallows in front of them. The researcher then informed the children that they would leave the room, and the kids were given two choices. If they could wait until the experimenter returned, they would receive more marshmallows. If they could not wait, they were instructed to ring a bell for the researcher to then return, but they would not receive additional marshmallows.
In these experiments, the children displayed all kinds of delay behavior. These behaviors showed that they were distracting themselves from the marshmallow to wait for more marshmallows after the researcher returned. Researchers recorded the number of seconds a child could wait before consuming the marshmallow.
Analysis of the results of this original experiment developed into the foundational theory in self-control. In a longitudinal study of the experiment’s participants, it was reported that children who exhibited the ability to delay gratification effectively showed higher levels of academic achievement at age 15. The number of seconds a 4-year-old could delay consuming that delicious marshmallow predicted success in their future.
The initial participants were followed over their lifetimes. Extensive research using these measures has shown that the ability to delay gratification during childhood is associated with a lower tendency toward frustration and aggression later in life, better school and standardized test score performance, and greater social responsibility and social competence in adolescence (Mischel, Ebbesen, & Raskoff Zeiss, 1972; Mischel, Schoda, & Rodriguez, 1989).
The research from these experiments has clarified the mental and physical mechanisms that lead to improved self-control behavior. Children who display more capabilities in delay choice show higher rates of self-reliance, self-efficacy, and self-confidence. The impact of this study is far-reaching.
Mischel (1974) then developed the two-stage process theory of delayed gratification. The first stage focuses on the determinants of the choice to delay. The second focuses on the factors that facilitate delayed behavior (e.g., whether rewards are present and cognitive representations that might distract a person from instant gratification behaviors).
Mischel’s research has revealed some of the key cognitive skills that lead to success. There are strategies, plans, and mindsets that enable self-control and improvement in self-regulation. When these skills are identified and taught at an early age, children are given lifelong tools for success.
Metcalfe and Mischel (1999) later developed the hot/cool system, comprising the two systems by which reactions are processed. The hot system is the emotional “go” system. The cool system is the emotionally neutral, logical thinking “know” system. Both are necessary for human choice. Managing how they are balanced is critical for success.
Mischel’s research even helped him stop smoking. He had a long-term nicotine habit. His motivation to stop came when he witnessed the pain of a man receiving treatment for lung cancer. Motivation is a key factor in the successful delay of gratification.
Brought into question in future replications of this original study were environmental and socioeconomic factors and the multidimensionality of the construct. The research led to advances in self-regulation theory and the theory that gratification delay is a constructive process that could be altered throughout a lifespan. Further investigation into theories in human motivation is interconnected with gratification delay abilities.
Benefits of Delayed Gratification
Studies show that delayed gratification is one of the most effective personal traits of successful people. People who learn how to manage their need to be satisfied in the moment thrive more in their careers, relationships, health, and finances than people who give in to it.
Being able to delay satisfaction isn’t the easiest skill to acquire. It involves feeling dissatisfied, which is why it seems impossible for people who haven’t learned to control their impulses. Choosing to have something now might feel good, but making the effort to have discipline and manage your impulses can result in bigger or better rewards in the future. Over time, delaying gratification will improve your self-control and ultimately help you achieve your long-term goals faster.
A well-known study conducted at Stanford University in the 1960s explains a lot about why it’s beneficial to delay gratification. In the study, children were placed in a room with one marshmallow on a plate. The lead researcher gave the children an easy instruction: You can eat the marshmallow now, or wait 15 minutes and receive two marshmallows. The researchers found that the children who were able to wait for the second marshmallow without eating the first one scored higher on standardized tests, had better health, and were less likely to have behavior problems.
Consider the results of this study, and think about yourself and your actions. Are you able to wait for things you really want, even if it involves sacrificing pleasure and satisfaction now? Do you make decisions based on your life purpose or on what feels good now? Do you sometimes give up too soon? Can you think of a time when you accomplished a difficult task? How did it make you feel about yourself? What were the results of waiting?
The tolerance you exhibit when waiting for something you want says a lot about you. If there’s something you want to buy, will you save now to pay with cash later, or pay with a credit card now and pay yourself back later? If you started school or own your own business and aren’t seeing the rewards yet, will you keep going or give up when the going gets tough?
Think about it: The things in life that bring us immediate gratification, like food, drugs, gambling, sex, screaming from anger, or using our credit cards don’t necessarily bring out the best in us. They just ease our discomfort for the moment.
5 Best Books to Read
1. The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control – Walter Mischel
Unsurprisingly, the original researcher on the topic, Walter Mischel, wrote the most well-known book on delayed gratification. The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control outlines the research and the paradigm for delayed gratification that was created from that research.
The master of self-control offers a description of how to master and apply it to everyday life.
Find the book on Amazon.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Mischel, Walter (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 313 Pages - 09/23/2014 (Publication Date) - Little, Brown Spark (Publisher)
2. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength – Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength was written by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. This book highlights the research done on self-regulation.
The concept that self-control and self-regulation can be strengthened like a muscle is highlighted and offered as a way of improving well-being and success.
Find the book on Amazon.
- Baumeister, Roy F. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 08/28/2012 (Publication Date) - Penguin Books (Publisher)
3. The Science of Self-Discipline – Peter Hollins
Peter Hollins wrote The Science of Self-Discipline as a road map to success. This bestselling author studied psychological concepts in self-control and interpreted them into actionable steps for high achievement.
The book outlines steps to overcoming impulses and mastering self-discipline. If you’re interested in learning more about the topic, check out our post detailing several books on self-discipline.
Find the book on Amazon.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Hollins, Peter (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 218 Pages - 10/21/2017 (Publication Date) - PH Learning Inc. (Publisher)
4. Mastery – Robert Greene
Robert Greene’s Mastery is a unique and compelling book that examines the lives of historical masters. Through this analysis, Greene reveals revelations in the concept of genius and its psychological implications.
By studying for masters in their fields, readers can model their behaviors to improve their achievements.
Find the book on Amazon.
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
- Greene, Robert (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 10/29/2013 (Publication Date) - Penguin Books (Publisher)
5. Impulsivity: The Behavioral and Neurological Science of Discounting – Gregory J. Madden and Warren K. Bickel
Impulsivity, edited by Madden and Bickel, is a collection of concepts in varying modalities. This book is based on neuroscience and behavior theory.
It is beneficial for practitioners interested in further science from the field.
Find the book on Amazon.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- English (Publication Language)
- 453 Pages - 08/15/2009 (Publication Date) - American Psychological Association (Publisher)
Delayed Gratification and Success
We live in a world that is fraught with distractions. Everywhere we look, there is a source of instant gratification that can be delivered to our doorstep the very next day. Highly successful people are that way because of their ability to consciously hold off on immediate pleasure with motivation to reach an autonomously set long-term goal.
It is important to note that the ability to delay impulses alone is not a determining factor in finding success. There is research that supports the theory that personal motivation is an additional and significant determinant of success (Bembenutty, 2008). This is of particular interest when determining goal attainment in academics.
Young children learn from failure, but if a child develops failure-avoidant behavior (Crandall & Rabson, 1960), they may never fully achieve their potential. Academic achievement and self-determination theory go hand in hand. As children develop, a guiding hand showing them that failure is the best place to learn is a vital piece of the success puzzle.
The delay of gratification in young children does rely heavily on the reliability of their environment (Kidd, Palmeri, & Aslin, 2013). Children who have consistently experienced broken promises from adults will have fewer delay capabilities. Consistent reward delivery and the cognitive connection between behavior and salient reward is of utmost importance.
An interesting study of sociopolitical motivation and its impact on the delay of gratification (Ward, Perry, Woltz, & Doolin, 1989) revealed a more multidimensional approach to the concept. Socioeconomic considerations must be examined when discussing the topic. Delay choice is influenced by environment and personal motivation.
Knowing that priming aids children in developing a delay choice preference brings to mind the work of Carol Dweck (2006) and the growth mindset. Successful people aren’t born with the tendency to delay gratification; they develop tools to focus on salient long-term goals. Applying to prime and encouraging a growth mindset with adults who are pursuing success can be life-changing.
Each time human practices delayed choice, the ability to repeat that behavior improves. Mindful awareness of choice is critical in creating an opportunity for this growth in choosing a distant goal over a reward in the present. Considering environmental and motivational factors carefully, this awareness can be rewarded in a successful future.
Choosing a distant goal is hard work. Successful people are so deeply rooted in attaining that distant goal that immediate reward, not attached to that goal, becomes irrelevant. Consistent daily habitual choice builds up to long-term success.
A Take-Home Message
If we were all masters at delayed gratification, our environment would not be saturated with “quick” solutions to everything under the sun. Our culture demands that successful humans rise above the constant distraction to self-motivate and delay personal gratification in favor of distal goals. “YOLO” became popular for a reason. It just isn’t very helpful when you’re trying to achieve goals that take time and effort.
We are not guaranteed a tomorrow. However, a balance between our cravings for instantaneous rewards and our desire to create longevity in our career, relationships, and health is difficult to achieve. Our entire lives require that we weigh the choices of “okay right now” vs. “bigger better later.” As adults, it takes a concerted effort to override the environment to create our thriving personal worlds.
- Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2012). Willpower: Rediscovering the greatest human strength. Penguin Books.
- Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2007). The strength model of self-control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351–355.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_gratification
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-emotional-meter/201712/the-benefits-delaying-gratification
- Bembenutty, H. (2008). Academic delay of gratification and expectancy-value. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(1), 193–202.
- Cheng, Y. Y., Shein, P. P., & Chiou, W-B. (2011). Escaping the impulse to immediate gratification: The prospect concept promotes a future-oriented mindset, prompting an inclination towards delayed gratification. British Journal of Psychology, 103(1), 129–141.
- Crandall, V. J., & Rabson, A. (1960). Children’s repetition choices in an intellectual achievement situation following success and failure. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 97(1), 161–168.
- Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
- Funder, D. C., & Block, J. (1989). The role of ego-control, ego-resiliency, and IQ in delay of gratification in adolescence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1041–1050.
- Green, L., Fry, A. F., & Myerson, J. (1994). Discounting of delayed rewards: A life-span comparison. Psychological Science, 5(1), 33–36.
- Greene, R. (2013). Mastery. Penguin Books.
- Hoerger, M., Quirk, S. W., & Weed, N. C. (2011). Development and validation of the Delaying Gratification Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 23(3), 725–738.
- Hollins, P. (2017). The science of self-discipline: The willpower, mental toughness, and self-control to resist temptation and achieve your goals. PH Learning.
- Kidd, C., Palmeri, H., & Aslin, R. N. (2013). Rational snacking: Young children’s decision-making on the marshmallow task is moderated by beliefs about environmental reliability. Cognition, 126(1), 109–114.
- Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness. Penguin Books.
- Madden, G. J., & Bickel, W. K. (Eds.). (2009). Impulsivity: The behavioral and neurological science of discounting. American Psychological Association.
- Metcalfe, J., & Mischel, W. (1999). A hot/cool-system analysis of delay of gratification: Dynamics of willpower. Psychological Review, 106(1), 3–19.
- Michaelson, L., de la Vega, A., Chatham, C. H., & Munakata, Y. (2013). Delaying gratification depends on social trust. Frontiers in Psychology, 4.
- Mischel, W. (1974). Processes in delay of gratification. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 7, 249–292.
- Mischel, W. (2014). The marshmallow test: Mastering self-control. Little, Brown Spark.
- Mischel, W., Ayduk, O., Berman, M. G., Casey, B. J., Gotlib, I. H., Jonides, J., … Shoda, Y. (2010). “Willpower” over the life span: Decomposing self-regulation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 6(2), 252–256.
- Mischel, W., Ebbesen, E. B., & Raskoff Zeiss, A. (1972). Cognitive and attentional mechanisms in delay of gratification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 21(2), 204–218.
- Mischel, W., Schoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. L. (1989). Delay of gratification in children. Science, 244(4907), 933–938.
- Mueller, E. T., Landes, R. D., Kowal, B. P., Yi, R., Stitzer, M. L., Burnett, C. A., & Bickel, W. K. (2009). Delay of smoking gratification as a laboratory model of relapse: Effects of incentives for not smoking, and relationship with measures of executive function. Behavioural Pharmacology, 20(5–6), 461–473.
- Shuval, K., Stoklosa, M., Pachucki, M. C., Yaroch, A. L., Drope, J., & Harding, M. (2016). Economic preferences and fast food consumption in US adults: Insights from behavioral economics. Preventive Medicine, 93, 204–210.
- Ward, W. E., Perry, T. B., Woltz, J., & Doolin, E. (1989). Delay of gratification among black college student leaders. Journal of Black Psychology, 15(2), 111–128.
