Mischel wrote up his research for general audiences in his 2014 book Marshmallow Test, which championed self-control as the key to success. The Marshmallow Test gained greater recognition after Mischel followed up on his subjects in the 1980–90s, where he found that children who earned the second treat scored significantly higher on their SATs than their counterparts and avoided problems like drug addiction and jail time at greater rates. Some kids ate the marshmallow right away, others couldn’t make it the full waiting period, and about a third earned that second treat. The study showed children hiding their faces, squirming, or engaging in make-believe to help them cope with the temptation. They could eat a treat-often in the form of a marshmallow but also a pretzel or cookie-before them right away or get two treats if they waited 15 minutes, during which time the experimenter would leave the room and observe. The test placed a choice before children. The Marshmallow Test was first administered by psychologist Walter Mischel at Stanford University’s Bing Nursery School in 1960. To study the development of self-control and patience in young children, Mischel devised an experiment, “Attention in Delay of Gratification,” popularly called the Marshmallow Test by the 1990s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |