The Marshmallow Test: Tempting Children

by LarryDeezell | September 17, 2009 at 03:32 pm

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Can we really predict children's success by their ability NOT to eat a marshmallow? Experts say yes

This is a test for children to make decisions, thier given one marshmallow and told to wait, if they want another marshmallow, they don't have to wait, but if they don't, they won't recieve another marshmallow. It test's their impulse control level or deferred gradification, it has been devised by Walter Mischel in 1960, the children were then observed for 14 years after the test.

According to the data from Mischel's research, 100% of the children who didn't give into their sugar craving ended up doing well in school, and scored an average of 210 points higher on SAT tests. On the flip side, 80% of the children who couldn't wait had problems in school, often had trouble paying attention, and found it difficult to maintain friendships

The marshmallow test gives the children a way of making a choice, learning temptation and learning control. You can never teach your kids too early and it also looks like an amusing test to do on your children to see how they'd react in that situation.