Delayed gratification is the ability to resist the temptation of an immediate reward in favor of a more valuable reward in the future. It involves foregoing a smaller, immediate pleasure to achieve a larger or more enduring benefit later. This skill is closely related to patience, impulse control, self-control, and willpower, all of which are involved in self-regulation. A growing body of research links the ability to delay gratification to positive outcomes, including academic success, physical and psychological health, and social competence.
A foundational experiment in understanding delayed gratification is the "Marshmallow Test," conducted in the 1960s by Walter Mischel. In this test, children were offered one marshmallow immediately or two marshmallows if they waited. Follow-up studies revealed that children who delayed gratification had higher SAT scores, lower substance abuse rates, and better stress responses later in life. Brain imaging studies suggest that individuals with higher self-control show more activity in the prefrontal cortex (related to decision-making) and less activity in the ventral striatum (related to desire and reward). While the ability to delay gratification was once thought to be a fixed trait, research indicates that it can be influenced by environmental factors and learned. For example, a recent study in 2025 found that young children are more likely to delay gratification when a peer promises to wait as well.
