The power of cultural habits: The role of effortless control in delaying gratification

Abstract

What factors lead children to delay gratification, holding out for larger rewards later instead of taking smaller rewards now? Traditionally, delay of gratification has been associated with effortful control and willpower. However, we propose that delay of gratification may be partially supported by effortless control employed through habits shaped within sociocultural contexts. Specifically, in sociocultural contexts where waiting is rewarding and socially valued, children are more likely to wait for larger, delayed rewards and to form associations between these contexts and waiting for rewards. These acquired habits enable waiting for rewards without requiring substantial cognitive effort. Based on this novel framework, we reconsider why childhood delay of gratification predicts life outcomes, and the role of cognitive, social, and cultural factors.