title: The "Batman Effect": Improving Perseverance in Young Children.
abstract: This study investigated the benefits of self-distancing (i.e., taking an outsider's view of one's own situation) on young children's perseverance. Four- and 6-year-old children (N = 180) were asked to complete a repetitive task for 10 min while having the option to take breaks by playing an extremely attractive video game. Six-year-olds persevered longer than 4-year-olds. Nonetheless, across both ages, children who impersonated an exemplar other-in this case a character, such as Batman-spent the most time working, followed by children who took a third-person perspective on the self, or finally, a first-person perspective. Alternative explanations, implications, and future research directions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Hamilton College and University of Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Emily O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kross
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Angela L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Duckworth
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carlson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology*