PubHawk
Child Dev September 2017 PMID 27982409

The "Batman Effect": Improving Perseverance in Young Children.

Rachel E White, Emily O Prager, Catherine Schaefer, Ethan Kross, Angela L Duckworth, Stephanie M Carlson

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Mentions

171
Peak: 5 in Mar 2020
across 7 sources since Dec 2016

Extended reach

842,498
potential audience

Total likes

23,363

Video views

772,581

Mentions per month

Dec 2016 – Dec 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News110 articles
  • Blogs18 articles
  • X / Twitter16 posts
  • YouTube13 videos
  • Facebook10 posts
  • Bluesky2 posts
  • Reddit2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The group shows strong agreement and keen interest in the research, citing specific studies like Rachel White’s work and sharing examples of children and even adults role-playing superheroes to enhance perseverance. The tone is enthusiastic and reflective, emphasizing the potential value of adopting such techniques in real-life situations.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support the idea that role-playing as Batman helps children persevere, showing positive reactions and sharing similar findings from studies.

InterestHigh interest

Posts are highly engaging, often using enthusiastic language and personal anecdotes, indicating strong curiosity about the research.

EngagementHigh engagement

Many comments delve into details of the study, relate to personal experiences, or discuss implications, reflecting deep engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions suggest that the concept has meaningful implications for parenting and education, hinting at notable influence on children's motivation strategies.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explored how self-distancing, or viewing one's situation from an outsider's perspective, can help young children persevere through difficult tasks.
  • It involved 180 children aged 4 and 6 who worked on a repetitive task for 10 minutes, with the option to take breaks by playing an engaging video game; six-year-olds generally showed more perseverance than four-year-olds.
  • Children who impersonated a hero like Batman or took a third-person or third-person perspective spent more time working than those who viewed their situation from a first-person perspective, suggesting that adopting an outsider view can boost perseverance.]
Read the full abstract

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Factourism
@factourism · X

Kids perform better at boring tasks when dressed as Batman Source: https://t.co/t9eRnsrY3n https://t.co/AHEMVBfqz7

Apr 28, 2020 · 5 likes · 1 share · 634 followers View post →
William Velasco
@williamzvelasco · X

Here is a study on the “Batman Effect”—kids perform “boring” tasks better when dressed as Batman. Does this work on grown-ups, too? https://t.co/OcmJTfuqiv

Aug 29, 2025 · 3 likes · 1 share · 8,075 followers View post →
John Hallett
@MrJohnHallett · X

@themalariaarea @ewenharrison That is actually cutting edge evidence based educational theory. You’re nailing home schooling. https://t.co/xPBq3i9v65

Mar 23, 2020 · 3 likes · 309 followers View post →
TIM |
@timpjohansson · X

1/9 Researchers ran a study called The Batman Effect: Improving Perseverance in Young Children. They gave kids a boring computer task. Some did it “as themselves.” Others pretended they were Batman (or another hero they admired). https://t.co/GZ4UUcz5vB

Sep 22, 2025 · 2 likes · 3,148 followers View post →
Vige Barrie
@vigebarrie · X

@melissakorn Take heart: "A 2016 study led by Rachel White of Hamilton College and Stephanie Carlson of the University of Michigan, titled “The Batman Effect,” further demonstrates the power of superheroes." https://t.co/JQ0J3a6Xgv

Apr 2, 2021 · 1 like · 610 followers View post →
Tanishq Kancharla (tk)
@moonriseTK · X

@nikillinit Kids who role-played as Batman persevered with difficult work more than kids who didnt: https://t.co/zn2U1AMErf

Mar 11, 2025 · 1 like · 490 followers View post →

All mentions

TIM |
@timpjohansson · X

1/9 Researchers ran a study called The Batman Effect: Improving Perseverance in Young Children. They gave kids a boring computer task. Some did it “as themselves.” Others pretended they were Batman (or another hero they admired). https://t.co/GZ4UUcz5vB

Sep 22, 2025 · 2 likes · 3,148 followers View post →
William Velasco
@williamzvelasco · X

Here is a study on the “Batman Effect”—kids perform “boring” tasks better when dressed as Batman. Does this work on grown-ups, too? https://t.co/OcmJTfuqiv

Aug 29, 2025 · 3 likes · 1 share · 8,075 followers View post →
Tanishq Kancharla (tk)
@moonriseTK · X

@nikillinit Kids who role-played as Batman persevered with difficult work more than kids who didnt: https://t.co/zn2U1AMErf

Mar 11, 2025 · 1 like · 490 followers View post →
znerolda
@znerolda.bsky.social · Bluesky

Apparently, if you want be more like Batman, you have to pretend you are Batman. I will try to apply that tomorrow! Will you? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27982409/

Mar 17, 2024 View post →
【北大心理ゼミ】※サークルです
@tan2_rational · X

@Hiroyuki_A_0429 バットマンになりきって勉強すると、集中力が1.5倍くらい上がった(bat man effectって名前ついてる) https://t.co/b6EHQH1D3i

Mar 16, 2024 · 1,318 followers View post →
TeachingTurtles
@Sprigatita · X

*Only actually confirmed with Batman. **They only tested 4 and 6 year olds, but what makes you think you're too cool to try?  https://t.co/k2fJhsTp03

Jan 8, 2024 · 1 like · 146 followers View post →
MEDspiration
@MEDspirationNFP · X

Research: https://t.co/WkkyFxFHVN

May 16, 2022 · 8,411 followers View post →
Komikdegilhic
@Komikdegilhic · X

Şu an çok şaşırdığım bir durum yaşadım. Sığınacak bir video ararken Gizem Atheimer'i izlemenin bana iyi geldiğini hatırladım. Bu videoya girdim ve sesi duyduğum anda ben bunu nereden tanıyorum oldum. https://t.co/3bo0hXjIeL

Jun 7, 2021 · 344 followers View post →
Vige Barrie
@vigebarrie · X

@melissakorn Take heart: "A 2016 study led by Rachel White of Hamilton College and Stephanie Carlson of the University of Michigan, titled “The Batman Effect,” further demonstrates the power of superheroes." https://t.co/JQ0J3a6Xgv

Apr 2, 2021 · 1 like · 610 followers View post →
Wendy Farajollahi
@wfarajollahi · X

RT @factourism: Kids perform better at boring tasks when dressed as Batman Source: https://t.co/t9eRnsrY3n https://t.co/AHEMVBfqz7

Sep 29, 2020 · 1 share · 73 followers View post →
Factourism
@factourism · X

Kids perform better at boring tasks when dressed as Batman Source: https://t.co/t9eRnsrY3n https://t.co/AHEMVBfqz7

Apr 28, 2020 · 5 likes · 1 share · 634 followers View post →
John Hallett
@MrJohnHallett · X

@themalariaarea @ewenharrison That is actually cutting edge evidence based educational theory. You’re nailing home schooling. https://t.co/xPBq3i9v65

Mar 23, 2020 · 3 likes · 309 followers View post →
やまみー
@yamamii_dokusho · X

参考 Rachel E. White(2016)The “Batman Effect”: Improving Perseverance in Young Children

Mar 18, 2020 · 45,345 followers View post →
凡人先生の質問部屋
@MrtGqxQoIUDC2Zm · X

明日から使える集中力を上げる3つの方法アップしました！！ https://t.co/21SXZBItlA

Mar 9, 2020 · 1 like · 121 followers View post →
topşik şipşok
@BelenColak · X

Negatif Düşüncelere Takılmamak İçin Bunu Dene! | Gerçekten ilginç hayatta yardımcı olması için izlemelisiniz bence :) https://t.co/EyDeoXLSPa @YouTube aracılığıyla

Jan 31, 2020 · 397 followers View post →
tokatti
@tokatti_ · X

バットマン効果→自分の好きなキャラクターになりきってイメージすると集中力がアップした 2016年ペンシルベニア大学 180人の子供で実験（4～6才の子供） #自分用メモ https://t.co/C1FqXvLexB

Nov 25, 2019 · 177 followers View post →
Allison Allain
@AnomicAly · X

@SunshineCVE Have you seen that children dressed as (and pretending to be) a hero (such as Batman), are able to focus/try longer https://t.co/AkQpS69Tv5

May 24, 2019 · 316 followers View post →
Jonathan F. Kominsky
@jfkominsky.bsky.social · Bluesky

Executive Function isn't usually my thing, but I adore this: Pretending to be Batman improves EF in kids 4-6 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12695/full

Dec 24, 2016 View post →