The marshmallow experiment is a well known test conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year-olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.1

Here you can watch the Marshmallow test reproduced by Dr David Walsh, watch the reactions of these kids being tempted with marshmallows.


.

Footnotes

  1. Source: en.wikipedia.org ^top