Delayed Gratification... 'The Marshmallow Experiment'.

Good things to come to those who wait...

The Marshmallow Experiment, Stanford University 'Delayed Gratification' designed in the 1960s. The experiment explored the concept of delayed gratification and its impact on individuals' long-term success. 

A child was placed in a room with one marshmallow and told that if they waited a certain amount of time (usually 15 minutes) without eating it, they would get another marshmallow.  The experiment aimed to see how long children could resist the emptation to eat the immediate reward and how this ability to delay gratification related to later life outcomes. Initial studies suggested a correlation between the ability to delay gratification in the marshmallow test and various positive life outcomes later in life, such as higher SAT scores, educational attainment, and lower BMI. 

'The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years and over and over again, the group who waited patiently for the second marshmallow succeed in whatever capacity they were measuring. In other words, this series of experiments proved that the ability to delay gratification was critical for success in life.'

Overview

• The marshmallow test is an experimental design that measures a child’s ability to delay gratification. The child is given the option of waiting a bit to get their favorite treat, or if not waiting for it, receiving a less-desired treat. The minutes or seconds a child waits measures their ability to delay gratification.

• The original marshmallow test showed that preschoolers’ delay times were significantly affected by the experimental conditions, like the physical presence/absence of expected treats.

• The original test sample was not representative of preschooler population, thereby limiting the study’s predictive ability. (Preschool participants were all recruited from Stanford University’s Bing Nursery School, which was then largely patronized by children of Stanford faculty and alumni.)

• A 2018 study on a large, representative sample of preschoolers sought to replicate the statistically significant correlations between early-age delay times and later-age life outcomes, like SAT scores, which had been previously found using data from the original marshmallow test. The replication study found only weak statistically significant correlations, which disappeared after controlling for socio-economic factors.

• However, the 2018 study did find statistically significant differences between early-age delay times and later-age life outcomes between children from high-SES families and children from low-SES families, implying that socio-economic factors play a more significant role than early-age self-control in important life outcomes.

• What do you think about this experiment?

• How could this be checked?

• Would you replicate this?

Delayed Gratification

Findings from the original experiment on 'delayed gratification':

1. This can be developed

2. Everyone has the capability to do this

3. It relates to many current real life situations

4. Critical for long term success in life

A great 2 minute read below from James Clear to get you interested, highly recommended with strategies and a great debate starter. If you have a chance, read the full experiment and follow up replicated tests. Fascinating and it brings up so many questions and ideas...

https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification

Takeaways from the experiment

As mentioned above, there are some very intresting areas to discuss with this experiment. Below are 5 takeaways from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/marshmallow-test.html

What impact could this experiment have on the following skills?

• Delayed Gratification and Self-Control:

  The experiment highlighted the crucial role of delayed gratification and self-control in achieving long-term goals and success in life. 

• Predictive Power:

  The study demonstrated that a child's ability to delay gratification on a simple task (the marshmallow test) could predict their future outcomes in various areas. 

• Cognitive Strategies:

  Researchers found that children who could delay gratification often employed cognitive strategies like distraction or mental imagery to manage their impulses. 

• Learned Self-Control:

  While the initial studies showed variations in self-control among children, later research indicated that it could be learned and improved through practice and training. 

• Impact on Future Outcomes:

  Follow-up studies showed that children who demonstrated self-control in the Marshmallow Test tended to have higher SAT scores, better academic performance, fewer behavioral problems, and better social skills. 

• Influence of Context:

  Research also revealed that circumstances, such as trust in the experimenter, can influence a child's ability to delay gratification. 

• Systemic Issues:

  Some researchers argue that factors beyond individual self-control, such as the child's home environment and access to resources, also play a role in their future success. 

As always a great subject to share, debate and to discuss further.

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Published by Dr. Paul Walton. @paultwalton

Principal, Educator, Leadership Coach.