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Intelligence and self control linked
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by Terri Potratz | September 12, 2008 at 02:45 pm
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Delaying gratification has never been my bag - I often cite the "life is too short" excuse. A study published in Psychological Science by researchers at Yale University indicates that my inability to delay gratification or exert any modicum of self control could mean that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed.
"It has been known for some time that intelligence and self-control are related, but we didn't know why. Our study implicates the function of a specific brain structure, the anterior prefrontal cortex, which is one of the last brain structures to fully mature," Noah A. Shamosh, PhD, says in a written statement.
In this study, researchers presented 103 healthy adults a variety of scenarios, all having to do with trading a larger financial reward down the road for a smaller one today. Participants were asked if they would trade $2,000 today for $40,000 in eight years? How about $30,000 today for $40,000 in two years? A variety of dollars amounts and time delays were used.
It wasn't explicitly noted whether or not the link between self control and intelligence was a two way street. Does delaying gratification make you smarter, or are intelligent people just better at self control? If you improve upon one does that influence the other?
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at 21:48 on September 13th, 2008
Terri Potratz, I like this story. It's good stuff. I would have to say that taking a smaller reward today instead of a larger one tomorrow could be the most intelligent, all depending on personal circumstances, like being on the verge of bankruptcy (maybe not an indicator of recent intelligent behaviors), or being savvy enough to know that a collapse of the international financial system is imminent, so you take the small stash of money and build a hut in the wilderness.