Persistence against Pleasure

Francis Galton, the 19th century British polymath spent decades amassing biographical information on the lives of eminent judges, politicians, poets, musicians and wrestlers. Although Galton hoped to identify the hereditary origins of genius – he wanted to lend support to his cousin Charles Darwin’s new theory of evolution – he eventually concluded that innate intelligence was not sufficient for high-achievement. Rather, these successful men needed to also be blessed with “zeal and with capacity for hard labour.”

(Recent brain studies indicate) these diligent souls seem to get a bit more pleasure from the possibility of reward, but they also seem less sensitive to their inner complainer, that disruptive voice reminding them that minesweeper is more fun than editing, or that the ballgame on television is much more entertaining than their homework. At any given moment, there is a tug of war unfolding in our head, determining whether or not we’re willing to put in the effort.

Jonah Lehrer

Short-term Decision Making

The problem with credit cards is that they take advantage of a dangerous flaw built into the brain. This failing is rooted in our emotions, which tend to overvalue immediate gains (like a new pair of shoes) at the cost of future expenses (high interest rates). Our feelings are thrilled by the prospect of an immediate reward, but they can't really grapple with the long-term fiscal consequences of that decision.

Paying with plastic fundamentally changes the way we spend money, altering the calculus of our financial decisions. When you buy something with cash, the purchase involves an actual loss-your wallet is literally lighter. Credit cards, however, make the transaction abstract, so that you don't really feel the downside of spending money. Brain-imaging experiments suggest that paying with credit cards actually reduces activity in the insula, a brain region associated with negative feelings.

Jonah Lehrer
How We Decide

The Marshmallow Test

The marshmallow test turned out to be a better predictor of SAT results than the IQ tests given to the four-year-olds. The ability to wait for a second marshmallow reveals a crucial talent of the rational brain. When Mischel looked at why some four-year-olds were able to resist ringing the bell, he found that it wasn't because they wanted the marshmallow any less. These kids also loved sweets. Instead, Mischel discovered, the patient children were better at using reason to control their impulses. They were the kids who covered their eyes, or looked in the other direction, or managed to shift their attention to something other than the delicious marshmallow sitting right there. Rather than fixating on the sweet treat, they got up from the table and looked for something else to play with. It turned out that the same cognitive skills that allowed these kids to thwart temptation also allowed them to spend more time on their homework. In both situations, the prefrontal cortex was forced to exercise its cortical authority and inhibit the impulses that got in the way of the goal.

Jonah Lehrer
How We Decide

Let's Make a Deal

Would you rather have $74 in three days or $115 in three months?

That’s the question UK researchers put to more than 40,000 participants through a BBC website. They wanted to know if a person's tendancy to spend or save comes from their understanding of financies or if it the decision reflects the person's overall personality.

Almost half of those responding preferred getting quick cash. This impulsive group turned down an interest rate hundreds of times higher than what they could get from normal investments. The people showing this a desire for immediate gratification was also more likely to indulge in other impulsive behaviors.. like overeating, smoking and even infidelity. The financial impulsivity was a common theme running through their lives.

The study was conducted by University College London and the University of Warwick. You'll find details in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. (The question was actually given in pounds instead of dollars. So the choice was 45 or 70 pounds).

Stephen Goforth