Gratification and addiction

In a self-control dilemma, the impulsive choice will always produce greater immediate pleasure. Overeaters, for example, will be given a boost of pleasure by a tasty snack. Whether overeaters are in a festive mood or in a depressed state, that tasty snack will make them feel better than they did before. The problem is that too many tasty snacks will eventually make overeaters miserable.

Even if overeaters accept the goal of lowering their calorie intake, having the snack now can be justified. That one last snack will not make a difference. After it, overeaters can abide by their long-term intentions and derive the health and appearance benefits of lower weight. Such reasoning can be repeated indefinitely, with the short-term option having more value in the present than the delayed option, leading unwitting individuals down the path to addiction.

Implications

Given the emotional appeal of the short-term option, it is impressive that children learn to wait. Mischel’s work has shown that it is a well-developed cool system that allows them to do so. Block and Funder also pointed out that people are naturally inclined toward either hot or cool responses and that adaptive responding depends on one’s ability to know when waiting makes sense. According to the American psychologist Howard Rachlin, however, knowing is not enough: people also need to commit themselves to adaptive patterns of action, rather than merely consider particular situations and actions as they arise. In doing so, people work with their future selves to create a life of the highest subjective value over time.