Study shows that religious people are better at understanding that small sacrifices lead to big rewards
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 11:32
in Psychology & Sociology
Delayed gratification: People who are good at overcoming their immediate impulses to take small rewards now in favor of larger rewards down the road do better in many areas of life, including academic achievement, income, job performance and health. What life experiences develop this ability? A new study published online, ahead of print, by the journal of Evolution and Human Behavior, finds that religious people are better able to forgo immediate satisfaction in order to gain larger rewards in the future. The study is the first to demonstrate an association between religious commitment and a stronger preference for delayed, but more significant, rewards.