Marshmallow Test VIDEO: A Reenactment Of Walter Mischel's Child Psychology Test

In the late 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel performed a series of tests on preschoolers referred to as The Marshmallow Tests. Mischel would give a child a single marshmallow, then leave him or her alone in the room with it. Before he departed, he'd make each kid an offer: if they wanted to, they could eat it immediately -- but if they waited for him to return, they'd get two marshmallows. The tests were designed to examine willpower and the mental processes behind delayed gratification. Watching kids go through the experiment can be poignant... and adorable.

As a recent New Yorker article on "the secret of self-control" put it:

Footage of these experiments, which were conducted over several years, is poignant, as the kids struggle to delay gratification for just a little bit longer. Some cover their eyes with their hands or turn around so that they can't see the tray. Others start kicking the desk, or tug on their pigtails, or stroke the marshmallow as if it were a tiny stuffed animal.

Watch a reenactment of the tests:

Comments

[FROGi]

This video was two minutes too long.

[ywcachieve]

I like the little red head girl's attitude. That's what I would have done...LOL ..it was so cute, she started eating the marshmallow before the woman left the table...LOL..it was just too cute.

[chillmonster]

There was another thing to notice, though. The girl who ate the marshmallow immediately savored it. She really enjoyed her snack. The boy tortured himself thinking about that second marshmallow and when he finally got it, he burned right through it. It looks like she got more out of her single marshmallow than he got out of his two.

My conclusion: The ability to delay gratification is a good thing, but we must balance that with a healthy dose of living in the moment because life is about both the destination and the journey.

[CherrySpring]

Good post :)

[MyDogJack]

I thought maybe one marshmallow could be enough for some kids. My little girl never ate a whole one until she was about 10. Sometimes more isn't better, it's just more.

[Pleneras]

Great observation.

[marcain]

The kids who give in to instant gratification most likely won't manage money well when they're adults.

[24kgold]

Well the little red head will be broke all her life! That was so cute, I'm gonna do this test on my nieces.....

[dissanayake]

Yah, she couldnt even wait until her Jailor stood up! lolove it.

[msjimmied]

By the time you are an adult, do you really think you would give a marshmallow the time of day? Maybe she doesn't want 2 large marshmallows! Just a thought.

[marcain]

The test isn't about marshmallow's, it's about resisting temptation for the greater gain. All kids want more than one marshmallow. That's why they chose marshmallow's for the test.

[myownvoice]

Cuuuuute!

[psbintl]

Absolutely adorable!

[sadmonkey2]

Nothing is funnier than to see these children go cold turkey over a marshmallow.

[lawrencemuh]

I'm fasting Ramadan..try 30 days with no food, water or sex with your spouse from sun up to sun down.. that's delayed gratification

[msjimmied]

I hope its sundown for you right now. I tried it a couple of times, no I am not a Muslim, but I did find it breaks the habits of routine, fosters self control, and a heightened sense of determination in your life...Go find the missus before the sun rises!

[ydrittmann]

Wow! Your spouse would give you sex with the sun up?

[Pleneras]

hahaha

[Angie Cordeiro - Huffpost Blogger]

I saw this on TED.com a few months ago...the secret to success...the ability to delay satisfaction...very funny video; especially the little girl ;-)

Talks Joachim de Posada says, Don't eat the marshmallow yet..

http://www.ted.com/talks/joachim_de_posada_says_don_t_eat_the_marshmallow_yet.htm

[Ray E]

maybe it's just me, why were there only white kids?

[billjones224]

because the study was done in a town where it is mostly white. You know most of the country is like that. Only east and west coast isn't. Stop thinking of your own little world and expand your mind. The worst thing for this country is keeping a small closed mind and asking the questions that you just asked when a perfectly logical reason presents itself.

[geo999]

Hear Hear!

Well said.

[GrahamInCanada]

You are correct that video displayed here was not produced on the east and west coasts. Neither was it produced in a town.

It was produced in a city which was 50.8% White, 25.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 17.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races in the 2000 census.

Of the 50.8% that were white, two fifths were white Hispanics.

However, this video was prepared by an organization that may have a less than representative membership.

Can you guess the city, and the organization?

[jutsee]

that was a little defensive.­..projecti­on maybe?

[j-tho]

don't know why this was censored when I first posted it an hour or so ago, so I'm trying again ~

this is yet another in a long string of examples of HuffPo using really bad headlines.
these kids are not "agonizing of eating sugar" ~ they are agonizing of the classic and simple "one now vs two later" dilemma.

Come on people!

[blindhog]

That is proof positive that the children are at the mercy of their parent's shopping habits.

That is also reason enough that the way to pay for health care for all is to tax high calorie, high fat, low nutrition food with a federal tax of not 10%, but rather 100%.

One might argue that by doing so we are letting big brother take over our lives, BUT, by continuing to make poor food choices, we have gotten big brother right in the center of our lives because insurance companies don't cover us and we become a burden to our nation.

[liamd1]

OR we could be parents and quit farming the job out to teachers, video games, and baby sitters and we won't have to have the government "help" us.

[jessicadevyn]

You are looking way too into this. Humans have much more sensitive tastebids to sugar than other animals. When we evolved sugar was pretty rare. We all have a sweettooth because sugar is essential to our survival.

This doesn't show these kids don't eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It was simply a marshmellow, not a whole bag of cheetos. You are acting as if all these kids eat are big macs and soft drinks. A marshmellow isn't going to kill you.

And yes, sugar and salt are necessary for survival. I was told by my doctor I need to increase my fat content. I also need to add more salt to my diet because my blood pressure is so low.

[jessicadevyn]

Or you overreacting. It's a marshmellow. It reflects nothing of the children's entire diet.

[RobBob]

I'm like that with beer.

[maggiee]

I liked the little girl who put the whole thing in her mouth, basically sucked half of it away and put it back on her plate like she didn't eat it. As if she was thinking, "no one will notice." That would have been me. That's trying to have your cake and eat it too!

[newTheory]

LOL, I love the redhead right at the end. While still chewing, she casually got off the chair, grabbed the plate and appeared to have had full intention of getting a refill. I heart kids :)