Delayed gratification across 22 Countries: A cross-national analysis of demographic variation and childhood predictors

Abstract

Prior research documents associations between delayed gratification and important life outcomes such as improved health, well-being, and educational achievement. However, less is known about how levels of delayed gratification vary across cultures and across demographic groups, as well as which childhood antecedents contribute to delayed gratification in adulthood. This study examines variations in delayed gratification across demographic groups and its childhood predictors. A diverse and representative dataset of 202,898 individuals from 22 countries is used. Random-effects meta-analysis and E-values for robustness are applied to examine associations between nine key demographic factors, childhood predictors, and adult delayed gratification. The mean levels of delayed gratification (scaled 0–10) vary by country, ranging from 5.2 to 8.4, with notable but less substantial variation across demographic characteristics. Among childhood variables, positive subjective health, favorable subjective financial status, frequent childhood religious service attendance, and a positive relationship with one’s father are associated with higher delayed gratification in adulthood. These associations are fairly culturally consistent and moderately robust to unmeasured confounding, though some country specific deviations from this pattern are also observed. The findings have implications for policy and practice aimed at fostering delayed gratification, considering cultural specificity.