The Relationship Between Thinking and Self Control

Researchers have applied diverse methods to examine the connection between thinking and self control. In one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology, walter michel exposed four year old children to a cruel dilemma. They were given a choice between a small reward, one orio which they could have at any time, or a larger reward, two cookies for which they had to wait 15 minutes. Ten or 15 years later, a large gap had opened between those who had resisted temptation and those who had not. The resisters had higher measures of executive control in cognitive tasks,. especially the ability to reallocate their attention effectively.