One Candy or Two at the Age of Six: Does it Matter for Later School Life and Why?

This study explored the role of early delay of gratification (DoG) and its positive outcomes  in the child’s later school life. More specifically, it investigated whether DoG measured in six-year-old preschool children predicts their subsequent emotional intelligence, quality of school life and life satisfaction in higher grades of elementary school. Also, the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between delay of gratification at preschool age and subsequent quality of school life and life satisfaction was also examined. The sample comprised 141 students (48.2% girls). Delay of gratification (DoG) was measured among six-year-old children; other measurement for one part of the sample was done at the seventh, and for the other part at the eighth grade. DoG was measured by the DoG task: children may eat one tempting treat immediately or they may earn a larger serving by waiting for an unspecified amount of time, doing assessment tasks. Other measurements included the Emotional Intelligence Scale (Wong & Low, 2002), the Quality of School Life Questionnaire (Leonard, 2002; Raboteg Saric et al., 2009) and the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (Huebner, 1991). It was found that students who succeeded in delaying gratification at preschool age had subsequently higher life satisfaction, higher sense of school achievement, and higher emotional intelligence (the use of emotions to facilitate performance and regulation of emotions in the self). Mediation analyses found that the overall emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between DoG and life satisfaction. Also, the component of emotional intelligence called the Use of emotions to facilitate performance was deemed a significant mediator between DoG and a sense of scholarly achievement. It can be concluded that the strengthening of regulatory mechanisms in preschool age may be beneficial for both life satisfaction and the sense of academic achievement in higher grades of elementary school. Key words: delay of gratification; emotional intelligence; life satisfaction; quality of school life --- U ovom istraživanju ispitivala se ulogu rane odgode zadovoljenja i njezine pozitivne ishode u kasnijem djetetovom životu. Vise specificno, nastojalo se utvrditi je li izmjerena odgoda zadovoljstva sestogodisnjaka predviđa njihovu kasniju emocionalnu inteligenciju, kvalitetu skolskoga života i zadovoljstva životom u visim razredima osnovne skole. Osim toga, nastojala se istražiti posrednicka uloga emocionalne inteligencije u odnosu između odgode zadovoljenja u predskolskoj dobi i kasnije kvalitete skolskoga života i životnoga zadovoljstva životom. Uzorak je ukljucivao 141 ucenika (48,2 % djevojcica). Odgoda zadovoljenja izmjerena je u populaciji sestogodisnjaka; drugo mjerenje za jedan dio uzorka ucinjeno je u sedmom, a za drugi dio uzorka u osmom razredu. Odgoda zadovoljenja izmjerena je zadatkom odgode zadovoljenja: djeca su imala priliku pojesti jedan primamljiv slatkis odmah ili su mogla odabrati vise slatkisa ako cekaju određeno vrijeme, dok rade zadatke procjene. Ostali mjerni instrumenti bili su Skala emocionalne inteligencije (Wong i Low, 2002), Upitnik o kvaliteti skolskog života (Leonard, 2002; Raboteg Saric i sur., 2009) i Skala ucenickog zadovoljstva životom (Huebner, 1991). Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da su ucenici koji su uspjeli odgoditi zadovoljenje u predskolskoj dobi kasnije bili zadovoljniji životom, imali veci osjecaj akademskoga postignuca i visu emocionalnu inteligenciju (upotreba emocija za olaksavanje izvedbe i unutarnje regulacije emocija). Analize medijacije polucile su rezultate koji govore u prilog tome da je cjelokupna emocionalna inteligencija posrednik u odnosu između odgode zadovoljenja i životnoga zadovoljstva. Osim toga, sastavnica emocionalne inteligencije koja olaksava izvedbu smatra se znacajnim posrednikom između odgode zadovoljenja i percepcije važnosti skolskoga postignuca. Može se zakljuciti da jacanje regulatornih mehanizama u predskolskoj dobi može biti korisno za oboje - zadovoljstvo životom i doživljaj smisla postignuca u visim razredima osnovne skole. Kljucne rijeci: emocionalna inteligencija; kvaliteta skolskog života; odgođeno zadovoljenje; zadovoljstvo životom