DiscoverBig ThinkI study patience in a lab. Here’s what I’ve found.
I study patience in a lab. Here’s what I’ve found.

I study patience in a lab. Here’s what I’ve found.

Update: 2025-10-07
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Feeling more impatient lately? It’s not entirely your fault.

Sarah Schnitker, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, explains how a culture of instant gratification — fueled by our use of smartphones and on-demand everything — has made patience feel unnecessary. But her research shows that patience helps people stay regulated, persist through challenges, and feel more satisfied with their progress.

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About Sarah Schnitker:
Dr. Sarah Schnitker, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University and Director of the BRIGHTS Center, researches virtue development in youth. Specializing in patience, self-control, and gratitude, she has 100+ publications, $10M in grants, editorial leadership, and mentors doctoral students in science and virtue.

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About The Well
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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I study patience in a lab. Here’s what I’ve found.

I study patience in a lab. Here’s what I’ve found.

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