How Socioeconomic Status Differences Observable
in Students’ Delay of Gratification Evolved
Over the Period of COVID-19-induced Online Education
Tamás Keller – Hubert János Kiss
Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences – Published Online: 2025-02-21
Abstract
We show the evolution of the delay of gratification (DG) in 950 students aged 10–14 during coronavirus-induced home-based online education, by analysing data from two waves of voluntary online surveys. Students in the highest SES category experienced an absolute increase in DG, whereas those in the lowest SES category suffered a decrease, resulting in a widening SES gap between the groups over a relatively short 30-day period.
Keywords: delay of gratification, socioeconomic status, COVID-19 pandemic, primary school students, online education
