WEBVTT

1
00:00:09.164 --> 00:00:11.730
Welcome, it's good to see you.

2
00:00:11.730 --> 00:00:16.470
At this session, you'll learn about
the power of self-motivation.

3
00:00:16.470 --> 00:00:21.070
Researchers have identified two kinds of
self-motivation that are particularly

4
00:00:21.070 --> 00:00:25.180
powerful in predicting success,
conscientiousness and grit.

5
00:00:26.470 --> 00:00:29.659
First, we'll focus on
conscientiousness and

6
00:00:29.659 --> 00:00:32.376
in a later session we'll focus on grit.

7
00:00:32.376 --> 00:00:37.654
On the afternoon of May 12, 2008,
one of the deadliest known earthquakes

8
00:00:37.654 --> 00:00:43.019
of all times hit China's Sichuan Province,
killing over 69,000 people.

9
00:00:44.130 --> 00:00:46.550
Nine year old Lin Hao and

10
00:00:46.550 --> 00:00:49.510
29 other second grade students
were at school when it struck.

11
00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.890
Although Lin Hao was one of the first
students out of the collapsing school

12
00:00:53.890 --> 00:00:58.320
building, he ran back inside
to save two of his classmates.

13
00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:02.620
Only nine of his classmates,
including the two he saved, survived.

14
00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:08.500
After the crisis, still aching from
the injuries he sustained from the falling

15
00:01:08.500 --> 00:01:13.380
rubble, he was asked why he risked
his life to rescue other students.

16
00:01:13.380 --> 00:01:17.021
He straightened his back and
matter of factly replied,

17
00:01:17.021 --> 00:01:21.680
I was the classroom monitor,
it was my job to look after my classmates.

18
00:01:23.160 --> 00:01:28.303
Lin Hao's strong commitment
to fulfilling his obligations

19
00:01:28.303 --> 00:01:32.548
represents the hallmark
of conscientiousness.

20
00:01:32.548 --> 00:01:33.260
People who are conscientious hold
themselves to high standards.

21
00:01:33.260 --> 00:01:37.860
They figure out what they're supposed to
do, how they're supposed to do it and

22
00:01:37.860 --> 00:01:39.250
they get it done.

23
00:01:39.250 --> 00:01:41.770
Their strength is that
you can count on them.

24
00:01:42.790 --> 00:01:46.180
Conscientious people
have both the ability and

25
00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:49.740
the willingness to fulfill
their responsibilities.

26
00:01:49.740 --> 00:01:52.900
It's helpful to think about
the relationship between ability and

27
00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:54.170
willingness this way.

28
00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.900
Ability is the can do,
it's your knowledge, your skills,

29
00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:05.950
your expertise, all the things that
enable you to perform successfully and

30
00:02:05.950 --> 00:02:09.420
accomplish a goal if you
choose to pursue it.

31
00:02:09.420 --> 00:02:14.070
You might say, I could get high
grades if I wanted to study hard or

32
00:02:14.070 --> 00:02:17.820
I could start a new business
if I put my mind to it.

33
00:02:17.820 --> 00:02:21.860
Will do refers to the motivation that
enables you to turn your knowledge and

34
00:02:21.860 --> 00:02:25.236
skills into actions that
get desired results.

35
00:02:25.236 --> 00:02:30.110
It sometimes involves putting a lot of
effort in over a long period of time and

36
00:02:30.110 --> 00:02:33.320
persisting through challenges and hurdles.

37
00:02:33.320 --> 00:02:38.980
You might say things like, whatever it
takes I will graduate from college or

38
00:02:38.980 --> 00:02:43.711
whatever it takes I'm going to
create this new art center downtown.

39
00:02:43.711 --> 00:02:47.710
Will do also means that you follow
through on everyday commitments,

40
00:02:47.710 --> 00:02:51.280
such as getting back to people quickly
when they ask you a question or

41
00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.330
getting projects completed on time.

42
00:02:54.790 --> 00:02:56.940
Now, there's also opportunity.

43
00:02:56.940 --> 00:03:00.210
And opportunity refers to
environmental opportunities and

44
00:03:00.210 --> 00:03:04.690
constraints that make it easier or
harder for you to achieve your goals,

45
00:03:04.690 --> 00:03:08.150
regardless of whether you have
the necessary skills and will.

46
00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:13.170
Someone who is born into a family
with resources, such as high income,

47
00:03:13.170 --> 00:03:18.500
educated parents and a home in a safe
neighborhood with high quality schools,

48
00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:22.700
is more likely to have a better chance
of achieving a high score on college

49
00:03:22.700 --> 00:03:27.060
admissions tests than someone who is born
into a family without these resources.

50
00:03:29.260 --> 00:03:34.050
Someone who works in a society that has
laws or cultural norms, for example,

51
00:03:34.050 --> 00:03:37.020
a glass ceiling, that prevents or
makes it harder for

52
00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:42.545
them to take on particular jobs may have
a tougher time gaining relevant skills and

53
00:03:42.545 --> 00:03:46.840
getting access to opportunities that
can help them achieve their goals.

54
00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.340
This certainly doesn't mean
that it's always impossible for

55
00:03:50.340 --> 00:03:53.490
people who face this challenges
to achieve their goals.

56
00:03:53.490 --> 00:03:56.600
There are plenty of people
who had socioeconomic or

57
00:03:56.600 --> 00:03:59.800
other challenges who've
been very successful, but

58
00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:03.760
it can take more determination,
cleverness and support to do so.

59
00:04:05.210 --> 00:04:08.610
Researchers have been studying
conscientiousness for over 35 years, and

60
00:04:08.610 --> 00:04:14.180
they've concluded that it's one of
the most significant predictors of success

61
00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:17.060
in academic and job performance.

62
00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:20.090
Conscientious people tend
to get higher grades and

63
00:04:20.090 --> 00:04:23.600
are more likely to graduate on
time from high school and college.

64
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:28.170
They are more likely to achieve their
work goals, get promoted, be paid more,

65
00:04:28.170 --> 00:04:32.530
have higher quality work relationships and
have more job satisfaction.

66
00:04:32.530 --> 00:04:38.260
They're also likely to be happier,
healthier and longer-lived.

67
00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:41.040
People who are conscientious
share several qualities.

68
00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:45.160
They are achievement and goal-oriented.

69
00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:50.450
This means that they set high goals and
high standards for themselves and others.

70
00:04:50.450 --> 00:04:51.970
They are reliable.

71
00:04:51.970 --> 00:04:54.660
They come through on their
commitments because they take

72
00:04:54.660 --> 00:04:58.000
their obligations to people and
organizations seriously.

73
00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:02.840
They are self-motivated,
hard working and self disciplined.

74
00:05:02.840 --> 00:05:07.811
They persist until they finish what they
start, despite challenges and setbacks.

75
00:05:07.811 --> 00:05:12.525
And they're willing to delay gratification
in order to meet personal, team and

76
00:05:12.525 --> 00:05:13.992
organizational goals.

77
00:05:15.090 --> 00:05:19.710
They are planful and organized,
they create systematic strategies for

78
00:05:19.710 --> 00:05:23.550
accomplishing their goals and
they methodically move toward those goals.

79
00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:27.990
They are careful,
they think before they act,

80
00:05:27.990 --> 00:05:32.680
they pay attention to details and
they take time to learn the rules and

81
00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.590
they follow the rules when
it's appropriate to do so.

82
00:05:36.970 --> 00:05:39.920
They have a strong sense of duty and
integrity.

83
00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:44.110
They strive to do what's right,
even if it's not easy.

84
00:05:45.780 --> 00:05:48.780
It's pretty easy to spot
a conscientious person.

85
00:05:48.780 --> 00:05:53.640
They return their emails and phone calls
promptly, they finish their work on time

86
00:05:53.640 --> 00:05:57.400
and they double check their work
to ensure it meets high standards.

87
00:05:57.400 --> 00:06:00.260
They arrive at meetings early and prepare.

88
00:06:00.260 --> 00:06:03.600
They sweat the small stuff and
they don't cut corners.

89
00:06:04.900 --> 00:06:07.810
Most people view others who
are conscientious as trustworthy,

90
00:06:07.810 --> 00:06:10.210
responsible and dependable.

91
00:06:10.210 --> 00:06:15.230
Few would accuse them of being
irresponsible, unreliable or impulsive.

92
00:06:15.230 --> 00:06:20.110
No wonder conscientiousness is one of the
most consistent predictors of achievement

93
00:06:20.110 --> 00:06:20.730
throughout life.

94
00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:26.950
The importance of developing self-control,
and the ability to delay gratification,

95
00:06:26.950 --> 00:06:29.900
are both qualities associated
with conscientiousness.

96
00:06:31.140 --> 00:06:33.540
The importance of these characteristics

97
00:06:33.540 --> 00:06:35.907
was powerfully demonstrated
in what are now

98
00:06:35.907 --> 00:06:38.900
called the marshmallow experiments.

99
00:06:38.900 --> 00:06:43.549
In the late 1960s and early 1970s,
researcher, Walter Mischel,

100
00:06:43.549 --> 00:06:47.286
designed an experiment to
assess childrens' self control.

101
00:06:48.670 --> 00:06:51.922
One by one,
approximately 600 pre-schoolers from

102
00:06:51.922 --> 00:06:57.430
Stanford University's Bing Nursery School,
were set up in a small room with a table,

103
00:06:57.430 --> 00:07:01.729
upon which there was a plate that
had two treats on it, for example,

104
00:07:01.729 --> 00:07:04.230
pretzels, cookies or marshmallows.

105
00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:09.460
The researcher told the children
that they could eat one treat now or

106
00:07:09.460 --> 00:07:11.590
wait 15 minutes and have both treats.

107
00:07:12.630 --> 00:07:16.300
Some people like the treat right away and
the experiment was over for them.

108
00:07:17.570 --> 00:07:20.140
Other children decided they
would try to wait, and

109
00:07:20.140 --> 00:07:22.491
the researcher left them in
the room while they waited.

110
00:07:24.110 --> 00:07:27.930
The researchers watched the children
from a one-way observation window,

111
00:07:27.930 --> 00:07:31.460
as the children employed clever
strategies to avoid temptation.

112
00:07:33.060 --> 00:07:38.548
Now, let's watch some of
the children who participated

113
00:07:38.548 --> 00:07:42.790
in a more recent version
of the experiment.

114
00:07:54.884 --> 00:07:56.590
[MUSIC]
>> The marshmallow test is a really great

115
00:07:56.590 --> 00:07:59.400
way to show how children
delay gratification.

116
00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:03.172
We tried it out with the four children
we'd been following since September 2010.

117
00:08:03.172 --> 00:08:06.043
Alfie, Millie, Mekhi and Prathmesh.

118
00:08:06.043 --> 00:08:08.697
[MUSIC]

119
00:08:08.697 --> 00:08:10.219
Here is how it works.

120
00:08:10.219 --> 00:08:12.478
[MUSIC]

121
00:08:12.478 --> 00:08:15.859
We had each child on their
own sit at the table,

122
00:08:15.859 --> 00:08:18.994
at a desk with a plate and
one marshmallow.

123
00:08:18.994 --> 00:08:21.934
They could either choose
to eat the marshmallow,

124
00:08:21.934 --> 00:08:24.594
the one marshmallow right then and
there, or

125
00:08:24.594 --> 00:08:29.090
they could wait until I came back into
the room and have two marshmallows.

126
00:08:29.090 --> 00:08:32.050
I left them alone in the room for
15 minutes.

127
00:08:32.050 --> 00:08:32.718
Take a look.

128
00:08:32.718 --> 00:08:35.678
[MUSIC]

129
00:08:35.678 --> 00:08:39.170
The marshmallow test has been used for
decades by psychologists.

130
00:08:39.170 --> 00:08:42.490
It's been used with children to
predict later academic success,

131
00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:46.860
including literacy SAT scores and
other academic outcomes.

132
00:08:46.860 --> 00:08:49.243
There's no definitive answers
from the marshmallow test,

133
00:08:49.243 --> 00:08:50.886
it's not a matter of passing or failing.

134
00:08:50.886 --> 00:08:53.113
[MUSIC]

135
00:08:53.113 --> 00:08:57.805
What we're looking for is whether children
can really resist this piece of white

136
00:08:57.805 --> 00:09:00.496
candy sitting in front
of them that's sweet,

137
00:09:00.496 --> 00:09:03.193
the smell of it,
the lure of the marshmallow.

138
00:09:03.193 --> 00:09:06.762
In Prathmesh case, we really saw this
added curiosity because he had never

139
00:09:06.762 --> 00:09:09.360
actually tasted a marshmallow before.

140
00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.050
All of the children managed to show
some level of self control and

141
00:09:13.050 --> 00:09:15.820
resist the temptation to
eat the whole marshmallow.

142
00:09:15.820 --> 00:09:16.970
As you can see from the footage,

143
00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:20.300
you can catch a glimpse into children's
ability to control their impulses.

144
00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.745
This ability which is developed around
the time of kindergarten can be

145
00:09:24.745 --> 00:09:26.656
linked to other outcomes later in life.

146
00:09:26.656 --> 00:09:29.542
In the end the marshmallows were
in kind of different states,

147
00:09:29.542 --> 00:09:32.270
some had been squished,
ripped apart, nibbled around.

148
00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:37.171
There was this temptation and there was
this impulse to kind of try it out.

149
00:09:37.171 --> 00:09:44.719
[MUSIC]

150
00:09:47.899 --> 00:09:51.396
>> About one-third of the children
ate the treat right away.

151
00:09:51.396 --> 00:09:53.962
One-third waited an average
of 3 minutes and

152
00:09:53.962 --> 00:09:58.270
one-third waited the full 15 minutes and
earned the two treats.

153
00:09:58.270 --> 00:10:03.211
The average amount of time before
the children ate their treat was about six

154
00:10:03.211 --> 00:10:03.925
minutes.

155
00:10:03.925 --> 00:10:06.930
Here's where the results
get even more interesting.

156
00:10:08.050 --> 00:10:12.577
Michel and his colleagues followed 95
of the children for several years.

157
00:10:12.577 --> 00:10:17.176
As teenagers, those who delayed
the longest before eating the treat,

158
00:10:17.176 --> 00:10:22.923
in the original experiment, had Scholastic
Aptitude Test scores that were on average,

159
00:10:22.923 --> 00:10:27.537
210 points higher than the children
who had the lowest delay times.

160
00:10:27.537 --> 00:10:33.126
As adults, the highest delayers were more
likely than the lowest delayers to achieve

161
00:10:33.126 --> 00:10:38.652
higher education levels, maintain a
healthy weight, and avoid substance abuse.

162
00:10:38.652 --> 00:10:42.185
Concluding that it was important for
children to be able to

163
00:10:42.185 --> 00:10:46.226
delay gratification,
the researchers taught children skills in

164
00:10:46.226 --> 00:10:50.354
self control before engaging them
in the marshmallow experiment.

165
00:10:50.354 --> 00:10:55.162
They taught the children strategies for
psychologically distancing themselves from

166
00:10:55.162 --> 00:11:00.034
temptation by imagining the marshmallows
as clouds, putting imaginary frames around

167
00:11:00.034 --> 00:11:04.770
the marshmallows to make them seem less
real and more like inedible pictures.

168
00:11:04.770 --> 00:11:08.614
And thinking about something else
completely unrelated to the treats.

169
00:11:08.614 --> 00:11:13.049
The children who were taught these methods
were much more likely to sit out the 15

170
00:11:13.049 --> 00:11:17.970
minutes without eating the treat in front
of them in order to earn the two treats.

171
00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:24.196
It seems like self control,
like a muscle, can be strengthened.

172
00:11:24.196 --> 00:11:27.822
A few years ago, the marshmallow
studies were given a makeover

173
00:11:27.822 --> 00:11:32.420
by researcher Celeste Kidd and her
colleagues at the University of Rochester.

174
00:11:32.420 --> 00:11:37.125
Kidd redesigned the original studies
based on her experiences volunteering

175
00:11:37.125 --> 00:11:39.080
at a homeless shelter.

176
00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:42.370
An environment in which
possessions are often stolen and

177
00:11:42.370 --> 00:11:44.790
promises are often broken.

178
00:11:44.790 --> 00:11:49.451
She wondered whether children's
willingness to delay gratification would

179
00:11:49.451 --> 00:11:52.461
be influenced not simply
by their personality but

180
00:11:52.461 --> 00:11:56.850
by their reasonable assessment of
the reliability of the environment.

181
00:11:56.850 --> 00:12:02.937
With this in mind, Kidd replicated the
marshmallow studies with an added twist.

182
00:12:02.937 --> 00:12:08.550
They divided 28 children,
ages three to five, into two groups.

183
00:12:08.550 --> 00:12:13.107
Before engaging the children in
the traditional marshmallow experiment,

184
00:12:13.107 --> 00:12:18.470
the experimenters exposed half of
the students to an unreliable environment.

185
00:12:18.470 --> 00:12:20.880
And the other half,
to a reliable environment.

186
00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:26.670
In the first phase of the experiment, each
child was brought alone into a room, and

187
00:12:26.670 --> 00:12:29.216
told they would be working
on an art project.

188
00:12:29.216 --> 00:12:31.784
The child was given a box
of worn out crayons, and

189
00:12:31.784 --> 00:12:36.308
the experimenter explain that the child
could start using the crayons immediately.

190
00:12:36.308 --> 00:12:39.240
Or wait a few minutes until the researcher

191
00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:42.523
would bring in a fresh
new set of art supplies.

192
00:12:42.523 --> 00:12:43.994
In the reliable condition,

193
00:12:43.994 --> 00:12:48.630
the experimenter returned with a shiny
new set of art supplies as promised.

194
00:12:48.630 --> 00:12:53.460
In the unreliable condition,
the experimenter returned and apologized,

195
00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:56.107
saying, I'm sorry but I made a mistake.

196
00:12:56.107 --> 00:12:59.400
We don't have any other
art supplies after all.

197
00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:02.952
But why don't you just use these instead,
and

198
00:13:02.952 --> 00:13:06.152
left the child with the worn out crayons.

199
00:13:06.152 --> 00:13:11.020
Then each of the children participated in
the traditional marshmallow experiment.

200
00:13:11.020 --> 00:13:12.328
Now watch what happened.

201
00:13:12.328 --> 00:13:19.033
[MUSIC]

202
00:13:19.033 --> 00:13:22.770
>> If I eat 100 marshmallows,
I would be filled up?

203
00:13:22.770 --> 00:13:26.220
>> Everybody knows that young
children particularly toddlers,

204
00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:31.760
two to four year olds,
are subject to impulsivity and it has

205
00:13:31.760 --> 00:13:35.720
been thought that that is a characteristic
that children are born with.

206
00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:37.040
>> Do you know what?

207
00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:38.540
It is snack time now.

208
00:13:38.540 --> 00:13:43.480
>> And so what we wanted to know is
whether or not some of these differences

209
00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:49.130
between children can be influenced by
their own rational thought processes.

210
00:13:49.130 --> 00:13:54.002
>> We wanted to manipulate children's
beliefs about how reliable the environment

211
00:13:54.002 --> 00:13:55.378
that they were in was.

212
00:13:55.378 --> 00:13:58.450
We assigned kids to one of two conditions,
either the reliable condition or

213
00:13:58.450 --> 00:13:59.580
the unreliable condition.

214
00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:03.310
>> So for the art supplies that you get
to use, you actually have a choice.

215
00:14:03.310 --> 00:14:07.286
You can either use these crayons right
now, or if you can wait for me to go

216
00:14:07.286 --> 00:14:11.613
get some from the other room, you can
use our big set of art supplies instead.

217
00:14:11.613 --> 00:14:13.402
>> The kids in the reliable condition,

218
00:14:13.402 --> 00:14:17.010
when the experimenter came back
into the room had the better thing.

219
00:14:17.010 --> 00:14:20.012
And for the kids in the unreliable
condition, the experimenter apologized and

220
00:14:20.012 --> 00:14:22.474
said she'd made a mistake,
we didn't have that available, and

221
00:14:22.474 --> 00:14:23.975
then helped them use the first option.

222
00:14:23.975 --> 00:14:25.221
>> Listen, I'm so sorry but

223
00:14:25.221 --> 00:14:29.190
I actually don't have that big set
of art supplies I told you about.

224
00:14:29.190 --> 00:14:32.810
Sorry about that, but you can still
use these ones to make your project.

225
00:14:32.810 --> 00:14:36.050
>> The classic example of a task

226
00:14:36.050 --> 00:14:40.220
in which children show impulsivity is
what's called the marshmallow test.

227
00:14:40.220 --> 00:14:44.515
>> For your snack you have a choice,
look what I've got.

228
00:14:44.515 --> 00:14:45.139
>> Marshmallow!

229
00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:48.000
>> Yeah, so wait,
just a second, let me explain.

230
00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.676
So you can either eat this one marshmallow
right now, or if you can wait for

231
00:14:52.676 --> 00:14:57.443
me to go get it from the other room,
you can have two marshmallows instead.

232
00:14:57.443 --> 00:14:59.840
>> I want two marshmallows.

233
00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:03.520
>> And what we found,
which was an incredibly large effect,

234
00:15:03.520 --> 00:15:07.010
the children who were
in the unreliable group

235
00:15:07.010 --> 00:15:12.050
were more likely to fairly quickly
pick up the marshmallow and eat it.

236
00:15:12.050 --> 00:15:14.120
So on average,
they waited about three minutes.

237
00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:17.441
>> And did you know,
I did not eat this marshmallow.

238
00:15:17.441 --> 00:15:20.980
>> The children who were in the reliable
group, waited four times longer.

239
00:15:20.980 --> 00:15:22.690
So they waited about 12 minutes.

240
00:15:22.690 --> 00:15:28.760
Which is an incredibly long time for young
children to wait before they get a reward.

241
00:15:28.760 --> 00:15:31.370
>> The differences may be due to
a different in expectations about what's

242
00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:32.540
likely to happen in the world.

243
00:15:32.540 --> 00:15:34.370
That's what this experiment
was designed to address.

244
00:15:34.370 --> 00:15:35.080
>> Any three year old,

245
00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:38.210
self control is not necessarily
the top of their [LAUGH] skill base.

246
00:15:38.210 --> 00:15:39.440
But in general,

247
00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:42.270
when she sets her mind that she's going to
do something, she's going to do it.

248
00:15:42.270 --> 00:15:45.310
>> In the marshmallow task, what you
want to do is you want to get the most

249
00:15:45.310 --> 00:15:50.260
amount of marshmallow possible, but
there may be other considerations.

250
00:15:50.260 --> 00:15:53.200
Given that I had this one marshmallow
now that's guaranteed, what

251
00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.730
are the chances that if I wait, there's
going to be a second marshmallow later?

252
00:15:55.730 --> 00:15:59.650
>> If it was a teacher he had
all the time that They would

253
00:15:59.650 --> 00:16:03.030
have that trust bond a little bit longer,
then he'd probably wait longer.

254
00:16:03.030 --> 00:16:09.350
>> One of the lines of work that evolved
as a result of the marshmellow tasks was

255
00:16:09.350 --> 00:16:16.760
to look at the outcomes of
children's behavior later in life.

256
00:16:16.760 --> 00:16:21.650
But something that's been missing from the
equation is this rational process by which

257
00:16:21.650 --> 00:16:25.970
children are accessing
information in their environment.

258
00:16:25.970 --> 00:16:29.330
And making decisions about whether they
should behave in the short term or

259
00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:30.330
behave in the long term.

260
00:16:30.330 --> 00:16:36.390
So if they're in an environment in
which long term gain is very rare,

261
00:16:36.390 --> 00:16:37.830
well, then, it makes perfect sense for

262
00:16:37.830 --> 00:16:41.420
them to behave impulsively, because
that's going to maximize their reward.

263
00:16:41.420 --> 00:16:42.195
>> How's it taste?

264
00:16:42.195 --> 00:16:45.367
>> [SOUND]
>> A production

265
00:16:45.367 --> 00:16:46.742
of the University of Rochester.

266
00:16:46.742 --> 00:16:50.387
Please visit us online, and
subscribe to our channel for more videos.

267
00:16:50.387 --> 00:16:59.896
[MUSIC]

268
00:16:59.896 --> 00:17:03.877
>> There are three main points to take
away from these marshmallow experiments.

269
00:17:03.877 --> 00:17:09.150
First, self control and
the ability to delay gratification.

270
00:17:09.150 --> 00:17:13.250
Both of which are characteristics
of conscientiousness in childhood,

271
00:17:13.250 --> 00:17:15.970
are related to positive
outcomes later in life.

272
00:17:17.010 --> 00:17:22.810
Second, self control and the ability
to delay gratification can be learned.

273
00:17:22.810 --> 00:17:28.190
And third, deciding whether or not to
delay gratification in a specific instance

274
00:17:28.190 --> 00:17:30.790
may be based on a rational
assessment of whether or

275
00:17:30.790 --> 00:17:33.120
not waiting will result in future rewards.

276
00:17:34.750 --> 00:17:38.120
Now let's turn to some of the benefits
that conscientious people are likely to

277
00:17:38.120 --> 00:17:39.350
gain in life.

278
00:17:39.350 --> 00:17:41.320
Let's begin with academic success.

279
00:17:42.540 --> 00:17:46.480
Doing well in school depends on
what researchers call cognitive and

280
00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.570
non cognitive resources.

281
00:17:48.610 --> 00:17:52.730
Cognitive resources include the ability,
the can do,

282
00:17:52.730 --> 00:17:56.637
to score well on college entrance
exams and general intelligence tests.

283
00:17:56.637 --> 00:18:01.050
Non cognitive resources
include the motivation,

284
00:18:01.050 --> 00:18:05.120
the will do, to achieve good grades,
work hard,

285
00:18:05.120 --> 00:18:08.210
turn in assignments on time,
be a reliable team member.

286
00:18:08.210 --> 00:18:11.930
And stay focused on school work
despite the many temptations

287
00:18:11.930 --> 00:18:14.640
that can easily lure students
away from their studies.

288
00:18:15.760 --> 00:18:20.420
This explains why some students who score
high in tests of cognitive abilities

289
00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:25.230
don't necessarily achieve the academic
success that others expect of them.

290
00:18:25.230 --> 00:18:30.160
And why students who don't perform as well
on these tests, often exceed expectations.

291
00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:35.280
Conscientiousness also
predicts success at work.

292
00:18:35.280 --> 00:18:38.810
Who would you rather have work for
you, people who are self motivated,

293
00:18:38.810 --> 00:18:43.140
or people who need a lot of direction and
reminders to do their work?

294
00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:47.040
People who have high standards for
their work and complete it on time, or

295
00:18:47.040 --> 00:18:50.760
people who throw their work together
haphazardly and submit it late?

296
00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:52.750
Not surprisingly,

297
00:18:52.750 --> 00:18:58.070
supervisors tend to rate conscientious
people's performance higher than others.

298
00:18:58.070 --> 00:19:01.100
Conscientious people are also
more satisfied with their jobs.

299
00:19:03.110 --> 00:19:05.680
Now, researchers have
found that conscientious

300
00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.600
people tend to be more satisfied
with their lives overall.

301
00:19:09.600 --> 00:19:13.270
Possibly because they live their lives
in ways that make it more likely

302
00:19:13.270 --> 00:19:15.390
that they'll be able to
achieve their goals in life.

303
00:19:15.390 --> 00:19:18.300
And take care of themselves and
the people they care about.

304
00:19:20.130 --> 00:19:23.170
They also tend to make choices
that promote good health.

305
00:19:23.170 --> 00:19:27.700
They are more likely to eat healthy,
to exercise, and to wear their seatbelt.

306
00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:30.190
They're more likely to have
regular doctor appointments,

307
00:19:30.190 --> 00:19:34.920
comply with doctor recommendations, and
take their medications as prescribed.

308
00:19:34.920 --> 00:19:37.410
They tend to engage in safer hobbies.

309
00:19:37.410 --> 00:19:41.530
And they are less likely to smoke
cigarettes, drive dangerously Abuse

310
00:19:41.530 --> 00:19:46.230
alcohol or other substances, or engage
in risky sexual behavior or violence.

311
00:19:48.330 --> 00:19:52.190
In a landmark study of men and women
who are studied from the time they were

312
00:19:52.190 --> 00:19:55.510
approximately ten years
old until they died,

313
00:19:55.510 --> 00:19:59.430
researchers Howard Friedman and
Leslie Martin found that one of the most

314
00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:03.390
consistent and powerful predictors
of longevity was conscientiousness.

315
00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:08.430
Martin also said that the most
conscientious study participants

316
00:20:08.430 --> 00:20:11.030
tended to get nice opportunities in life.

317
00:20:11.030 --> 00:20:13.530
And so they went on to live
some of the most exciting and

318
00:20:13.530 --> 00:20:15.740
interesting lives of anyone in the study.

319
00:20:17.820 --> 00:20:22.350
So far it may seem as if I'm presenting
conscientiousness as the magic formula for

320
00:20:22.350 --> 00:20:24.780
making all of your dreams come true.

321
00:20:24.780 --> 00:20:27.720
Well, not so fast, like anything else,

322
00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:31.270
conscientiousness can backfire
when taken to extremes.

323
00:20:31.270 --> 00:20:35.700
Setting overly high standards for yourself
and others can lead to micromanagement and

324
00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:37.040
impatience.

325
00:20:37.040 --> 00:20:41.660
Extreme conscientiousness can turn
into unnecessary perfectionism,

326
00:20:41.660 --> 00:20:45.280
excessive rumination when making
decisions and workaholism.

327
00:20:46.510 --> 00:20:52.050
In a four year study of over 9,000 people,
researcher Christopher Boise and

328
00:20:52.050 --> 00:20:56.630
his colleagues found that the participants
who were high in conscientiousness

329
00:20:56.630 --> 00:21:01.630
were also more likely to experience
greater life dissatisfaction than

330
00:21:01.630 --> 00:21:06.150
those who were low in conscientiousness,
when they became unemployed.

331
00:21:06.150 --> 00:21:09.500
The researchers speculated that
conscientious people may be

332
00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:12.510
particularly hard hit during
periods of unemployment,

333
00:21:12.510 --> 00:21:15.420
because their identity may
be more tied to their work.

334
00:21:15.420 --> 00:21:17.930
They may be more likely
to feel like a failure.

335
00:21:17.930 --> 00:21:22.440
And they may miss the ability
to use their strengths at work.

336
00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:26.360
Conscientiousness can also backfire when
it's not complimented with social skills.

337
00:21:27.970 --> 00:21:32.310
In a series of studies that
included over 1400 employees,

338
00:21:32.310 --> 00:21:36.520
researches found that employees who were
high in conscientiousness yet low in

339
00:21:36.520 --> 00:21:41.375
cooperativeness, helpfulness and courtesy
were rated lower in effectiveness.

340
00:21:41.375 --> 00:21:42.775
Than those who are high and

341
00:21:42.775 --> 00:21:47.845
both, especially in jobs that
required working closely with others.

342
00:21:47.845 --> 00:21:52.275
So, if you find yourself staying at work,
I'm not here to be liked,

343
00:21:52.275 --> 00:21:54.025
I'm here to get the job done.

344
00:21:54.025 --> 00:21:55.915
You may want to reconsider that statement.

345
00:21:57.815 --> 00:22:00.149
What can you do to increase
your consciousness?

346
00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:04.960
First, you can take the assessment
that accompanies this session

347
00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:08.620
to determine your strengths and weaknesses
in the area of conscientiousness.

348
00:22:09.670 --> 00:22:13.020
Second, you can identify
one thing you will do

349
00:22:13.020 --> 00:22:15.070
to increase your conscientiousness.

350
00:22:15.070 --> 00:22:18.860
For example, you need to work harder,
be more organized,

351
00:22:18.860 --> 00:22:22.300
be more punctual, or be more reliable.

352
00:22:22.300 --> 00:22:25.820
Third, you can remind yourself
of your goal everyday.

353
00:22:25.820 --> 00:22:30.960
For example, you may write a reminder
such as return email promptly or

354
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.300
get to meetings on time on a Post-it note.

355
00:22:33.300 --> 00:22:37.390
And post it on your laptop for you
likely to see it several times each day.

356
00:22:37.390 --> 00:22:39.890
Or create a screen saver
with the same message.

357
00:22:41.110 --> 00:22:43.560
Fourth, you'll need to decide what

358
00:22:43.560 --> 00:22:47.140
specifically you will do every
day to develop the skill.

359
00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:50.600
It's ideal to focus on
one skill at a time.

360
00:22:50.600 --> 00:22:53.990
And sometimes reading a book,
searching for advice online, or

361
00:22:53.990 --> 00:22:55.350
taking a workshop can help.

362
00:22:56.870 --> 00:23:01.850
Fifth, you can manage the context by
creating structures and habits, so

363
00:23:01.850 --> 00:23:04.491
that you don't have to think
about how you want to behave.

364
00:23:05.520 --> 00:23:09.400
For example, you can work in
less distracted environments.

365
00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:10.640
You can set aside an hour or

366
00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:14.850
two at work every day to work
on projects that require focus.

367
00:23:14.850 --> 00:23:18.600
You can set alarms to remind
you to get to meetings on time.

368
00:23:18.600 --> 00:23:21.420
And you can use apps that will
block you from going online for

369
00:23:21.420 --> 00:23:22.950
a specific period of time.

370
00:23:24.910 --> 00:23:29.560
One well-known time management technique
is the simple Pomodoro Technique.

371
00:23:29.560 --> 00:23:32.200
It was developed by Francesco Cirillo

372
00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:37.230
when he was a university student who had
a hard time focusing on his studies.

373
00:23:37.230 --> 00:23:41.650
And it requires only a timer and
your commitment to setting the timer for

374
00:23:41.650 --> 00:23:47.170
at least 25 minutes, and focusing on
that task until the timer goes off.

375
00:23:48.790 --> 00:23:53.210
When I wrote my first book, I had a hard
time staying focused on the book.

376
00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:56.090
One issue was that I had
two small children at home.

377
00:23:56.090 --> 00:23:58.420
And I wanted to spend time with them.

378
00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:01.890
But the other issue was that I
was easily distracted in ways

379
00:24:01.890 --> 00:24:04.600
that had nothing to do with the children.

380
00:24:04.600 --> 00:24:08.410
So I took a time management course and
learned one technique.

381
00:24:08.410 --> 00:24:13.350
It's called logical stopping points,
and that made all the difference.

382
00:24:13.350 --> 00:24:18.820
The technique was simple, don't stop
writing until I reach a logical stopping

383
00:24:18.820 --> 00:24:24.630
point, the end of a paragraph, the end
of a page, or the end of a chapter.

384
00:24:24.630 --> 00:24:28.630
It seems simple, but
it requires great deal of discipline for

385
00:24:28.630 --> 00:24:32.346
people like me who are easily distracted.

386
00:24:32.346 --> 00:24:35.130
Today, I use the concept
of logical stopping points

387
00:24:35.130 --> 00:24:38.440
whenever I have a long term
difficult goal to achieve.

388
00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:42.150
For example, designing a new course or
planning a new workshop.

389
00:24:42.150 --> 00:24:44.170
And it continues to serve me very well.

390
00:24:45.830 --> 00:24:50.100
So now you know more about the power of
conscientiousness and predicting success.

391
00:24:50.100 --> 00:24:53.320
Thanks for listening and
learning about conscientiousness.

392
00:24:53.320 --> 00:24:56.870
I look forward to seeing you at
the next session in which we'll discuss

393
00:24:56.870 --> 00:24:57.660
the power of grit.