Patience vs Impulsivity

Definition

Patience refers to the ability to delay gratification and wait for a more favorable outcome, while impulsivity involves making quick decisions without considering the long-term consequences. This concept is significant in understanding how individuals make choices over time, as it highlights the contrast between immediate rewards and future benefits, especially when evaluating options that have delayed payoffs.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Individuals exhibiting high levels of patience are more likely to make rational long-term decisions, while those who are impulsive may prioritize short-term satisfaction.
2. Patience can lead to better outcomes in life, such as financial stability or healthier lifestyles, as it often involves planning and foresight.
3. Impulsivity can be linked to various behavioral issues and mental health disorders, as it may hinder an individual's ability to make thoughtful decisions.
4. The ability to practice patience varies across individuals and can be influenced by factors like upbringing, environment, and even biological predispositions.
5. Hyperbolic discounting illustrates how impulsivity can affect intertemporal choice by showing that people often undervalue future rewards compared to immediate ones.

Review Questions

• How do patience and impulsivity influence intertemporal choice in decision-making?
  • Patience plays a crucial role in intertemporal choice by encouraging individuals to consider the long-term benefits of their decisions. When faced with options that involve waiting for future rewards, patient individuals are more likely to weigh the advantages of delayed gratification. In contrast, those who are impulsive may opt for immediate rewards without considering the future consequences, leading to suboptimal choices that could affect their long-term outcomes.
• Discuss how hyperbolic discounting affects a person's tendency toward patience or impulsivity when making financial decisions.
  • Hyperbolic discounting demonstrates how individuals often prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones. This behavior can create a pattern of impulsivity in financial decisions, as people might spend money on short-term pleasures instead of saving for significant future expenses. The tendency to hyperbolically discount future rewards can result in financial instability and missed opportunities for wealth accumulation due to the prioritization of instant gratification.
• Evaluate the impact of environmental factors on a person's level of patience versus impulsivity and the subsequent effects on their decision-making processes.
  • Environmental factors such as socioeconomic status, parental guidance, and social norms can significantly shape an individual's level of patience or impulsivity. For instance, those raised in stable environments with strong support systems may develop greater patience and better decision-making skills. Conversely, individuals from less stable backgrounds might lean towards impulsivity due to limited access to resources or immediate stressors. This dynamic impacts their choices, potentially leading to different life outcomes based on their ability to weigh long-term benefits against immediate desires.

Related terms

Delayed Gratification: The act of resisting the temptation for an immediate reward and waiting for a later reward, often linked to patience.

Hyperbolic Discounting:

A behavioral economic theory that suggests people disproportionately prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones, reflecting impulsive behavior.

Intertemporal Choice: Decisions made by individuals that involve trade-offs among costs and benefits occurring at different times.