Choiceology with Katy Milkman Bonus: A Sit Down With Katy Milkman & Angela Duckworth
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Oct 20, 2025 
Katy Milkman chats with Dr. Angela Duckworth, a renowned psychologist and author of 'Grit,' who has delved deep into self-control and perseverance. They explore how self-control manifests in everyday choices and the surprising insights from the famous marshmallow test. Angela offers practical strategies to enhance self-control, like modifying environments and using simple hacks to reduce temptation. She also distinguishes between grit and self-control, highlighting the importance of cultivating resilience through supportive relationships and structured environments.
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A Bathroom Tug-Of-War
- Angela describes waking in bed knowing she needed the bathroom but finding it incredibly hard to get up despite feeling better moments later.
- This illustrates self-control conflicts can be immediate and trivial yet still require resolution.
Marshmallow Test Predicts Long-Term Outcomes
- Walter Mischel's marshmallow test measured seconds of delay and predicted varied life outcomes decades later.
- Early delay-of-gratification performance correlated with SATs, academics, relationships, and delinquency, though the story is complex.
Composite Measures Beat Single Tests
- Questionnaires and composites often give higher signal-to-noise for trait self-control than single tasks.
- Strong composite self-control predicts outcomes at least as well as IQ and socioeconomic status in longitudinal studies.
