Why don’t we like to wait?
Whether it’s online or in line, we all hate to wait. Our patience grows shorter as the time spent in queues grows longer. The amount of time spent in queues is also staggering. For example, Americans spend about 37 billion hours every year queuing(opens in new window), or over 113 hours per person per year. That’s a lot of time just waiting around. But what is the hardest part of all this waiting? According to a study published in the journal ‘Social Psychological and Personality Science’(opens in new window), people’s frustration with waiting escalates as they near the anticipated end, in other words, when the wait is almost over. “This paper was about people’s feelings, their experiences while they wait,” commented co-author Annabelle Roberts, assistant professor of marketing at The University of Texas at Austin, in a news release(opens in new window). “When you expect the wait to be ending soon, you become more impatient closer to that expectation.”
The need for closure
Researchers carried out several studies to examine how the need for closure makes us more impatient, affecting decisions such as completing tasks earlier and choosing present over future rewards. The studies assessed consumer reactions to waiting on real-world events that involve months, days or minutes: a COVID-19 vaccine, the 2020 US presidential election results and getting on a bus. Results showed that the volunteers were very impatient when the waiting period approached, irrespective of how long they had already been waiting. Overall, the findings revealed how a powerful urge for closure makes people prefer options that enable them to complete tasks sooner, even if that means working or paying more. “The need for goal closure helps explain the counterintuitive preference for working more sooner or paying more sooner,” explained Asst Prof. Roberts. “We find that impatience isn’t just about this myopic desire for the reward. It’s also about crossing goals off their list, not having the goal hanging over them.”
Psychological dynamics of impatience
In addition to providing better insight into the understanding of impatience, the study also offered practical implications for marketing strategies and personal decision-making. The knowledge gained can assist marketing departments and service providers in coming up with less frustrating waiting experiences. Management can also better motivate teams by grasping the psychology behind impatience and the desire for closure. “I want my research to help people manage their waiting experiences,” concluded Asst Prof. Roberts. “A lot of people really want help with how they can be more patient while they wait and how they can make better choices, like saving for the future.”