View in EDS

Waiting Longer with Less Work: The Impact of Habits and Social Trust on Children's Delay of Gratification

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Waiting Longer with Less Work: The Impact of Habits and Social Trust on Children's Delay of Gratification
Language: English
Authors: Kaichi Yanaoka, Laura E. Michaelson, Satoru Saito, Yuko Munakata
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Contract Number: R01HD086184
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Preschool Children, Delay of Gratification, Self Control, Habit Formation, Trust (Psychology), Context Effect, Eating Habits, Parent Child Relationship, Experimenter Characteristics
Geographic Terms: Japan
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70185
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: Delay of gratification in early childhood has long been associated with cognitive control and willpower. However, recent research has proposed an alternative perspective, emphasizing the role of habit formation in delaying gratification. We tested key predictions of this framework. Children's habits of waiting should not only increase their delay of gratification, but should decrease the work it takes for children to wait. In addition, the effects of children's habits of waiting should depend on contextual factors. A total of 149 Japanese children aged four to six years participated in a delay of gratification task, where they waited to eat a marshmallow or to open a wrapped gift, with an experimenter who behaved in a trustworthy or an untrustworthy manner. Children waited longer for food than for gifts, and children with stronger habits of waiting to eat waited longer for food but not gifts, consistent with prior work. Moreover, children tended to report that waiting for food took less work than waiting for gifts, and this effect was greater for children with stronger habits of waiting to eat. The trustworthiness of the experimenter did not significantly affect children's wait times, but children reported that waiting for the untrustworthy experimenter took more work than waiting for the trustworthy experimenter. The trustworthiness of the experimenter interacted with: (a) children's habits of waiting to eat, with children with stronger habits waiting longer with the trustworthy experimenter only, and (b) the strength of parent-child relationships, with children waiting longer with a trustworthy experimenter than with an untrustworthy one only if they had strong parent-child relationships. These findings suggest that cultural habits and social factors can interact and affect the work it takes for children to delay gratification, offering a clearer understanding of why childhood delay of gratification predicts future outcomes.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/kpn85
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504287
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1504287
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Waiting Longer with Less Work: The Impact of Habits and Social Trust on Children's Delay of Gratification
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaichi+Yanaoka%22">Kaichi Yanaoka</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+E%2E+Michaelson%22">Laura E. Michaelson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Satoru+Saito%22">Satoru Saito</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yuko+Munakata%22">Yuko Munakata</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(3).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 11
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R01HD086184
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Delay+of+Gratification%22">Delay of Gratification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Control%22">Self Control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Habit+Formation%22">Habit Formation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Trust+%28Psychology%29%22">Trust (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Context+Effect%22">Context Effect</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eating+Habits%22">Eating Habits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experimenter+Characteristics%22">Experimenter Characteristics</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/desc.70185
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Delay of gratification in early childhood has long been associated with cognitive control and willpower. However, recent research has proposed an alternative perspective, emphasizing the role of habit formation in delaying gratification. We tested key predictions of this framework. Children's habits of waiting should not only increase their delay of gratification, but should decrease the work it takes for children to wait. In addition, the effects of children's habits of waiting should depend on contextual factors. A total of 149 Japanese children aged four to six years participated in a delay of gratification task, where they waited to eat a marshmallow or to open a wrapped gift, with an experimenter who behaved in a trustworthy or an untrustworthy manner. Children waited longer for food than for gifts, and children with stronger habits of waiting to eat waited longer for food but not gifts, consistent with prior work. Moreover, children tended to report that waiting for food took less work than waiting for gifts, and this effect was greater for children with stronger habits of waiting to eat. The trustworthiness of the experimenter did not significantly affect children's wait times, but children reported that waiting for the untrustworthy experimenter took more work than waiting for the trustworthy experimenter. The trustworthiness of the experimenter interacted with: (a) children's habits of waiting to eat, with children with stronger habits waiting longer with the trustworthy experimenter only, and (b) the strength of parent-child relationships, with children waiting longer with a trustworthy experimenter than with an untrustworthy one only if they had strong parent-child relationships. These findings suggest that cultural habits and social factors can interact and affect the work it takes for children to delay gratification, offering a clearer understanding of why childhood delay of gratification predicts future outcomes.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Note
  Label: Notes
  Group: Note
  Data: https://osf.io/kpn85
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1504287
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1504287
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/desc.70185
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Delay of Gratification
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Control
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Habit Formation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Trust (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Context Effect
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Eating Habits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experimenter Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Japan
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Waiting Longer with Less Work: The Impact of Habits and Social Trust on Children's Delay of Gratification
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kaichi Yanaoka
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Laura E. Michaelson
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Satoru Saito
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Yuko Munakata
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1363-755X
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1467-7687
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 29
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Developmental Science
              Type: main
ResultId 1