The Study
Magnitude of Reward and Preference in a Delayed-Reward Situation
This study watched kids choose between getting a small treat now or a bigger one later, and found that bigger treats made them more likely to wait. But it didn’t change anything on purpose—it just watched what happened, so we can’t say the bigger treat made them wait.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Kids were given a choice: a small treat now, or a bigger one later. When the later treat was much bigger, they picked it more often.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 535 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this shows that making the future reward much bigger helps kids wait, even if they're young.
- 2When the delayed reward was large, kids chose it more than when it was only medium-sized.
- 3Age didn't matter — 6-year-olds and 12-year-olds chose similarly.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Related Content
Claims (2)
When a reward is given right after a behavior, that behavior is more likely to be repeated than when the reward is delayed.
Children between 6 and 12 years old consistently choose a bigger reward waiting longer over a smaller reward available right away, and this choice is shaped by how large the delayed reward is, not by their exact age within that range.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.