Humanities and Social Science Program

The Frontiers of Psychological Inquiry: Examining Delayed Gratification and Executive Functions as a Case Study

Faculty Advisor: Visiting Faculty Member, Cornell University

Research Program Introduction

Psychological research seeks to provide empirical answers to philosophical questions that have been asked for centuries about the human mind by applying the tools of scientific investigation. In this research program, students will explore some of the latest and most groundbreaking findings on one such topic: delayed gratification and executive functions. Using this topic as a central case study, the course introduces students to how psychological scientists formulate research questions, design experiments, analyze findings, and debate competing interpretations of evidence. 

The program begins with foundational theories of executive functions: A set of cognitive processes that enable individuals to regulate attention, inhibit impulses, and plan for the future. Through the lens of the well-known “marshmallow test”, students will examine how delayed gratification develops across childhood and how it relates to broader life outcomes. Students will also explore methodological debates surrounding these studies, including questions of replication, cultural context, environmental reliability, and socioeconomic influences.

Beyond these classic experiments, this program examines the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying self-regulation. Topics include inhibitory control, working memory, motivation, reward processing, and the role of stress and environmental uncertainty in shaping decision-making.

By the end of the program, students will gain both a deeper understanding of the science of executive function and firsthand insight into the process through which psychological knowledge is generated and refined.

Possible Topics For Final Project:

  • Is delayed gratification a stable trait or a context-dependent behavior?

  • How do executive functions develop during childhood and adolescence?

  • Revisiting the “marshmallow test”: What did it actually show?

  • The role of environment and socioeconomic context in self-control

  • What happens in the brain during self-control?

  • Can self-control be trained?

  • Delayed gratification across cultures

  • Or other topics in this subject area that you are interested in, and that your professor approves after discussing it with you.

Program Detail

  • Cohort size: 3 to 6 students

  • Workload: Around 4 to 5 hours per week (including class and homework time)

  • Target students: 9 to 12th graders interested in Psychology, Neuroscience, Sociology, and other related areas.

  • Schedule: TBD.Meetings will take place for around one hour per week, with a weekly meeting day and time to be determined a few weeks before the start date.