Walter Mischel

The Marshmallow Test

1. IDEA 1

   A simple test of waiting

   Mischel describes his experiments at Stanford in which young children could eat one treat now or wait for two later. The test became a famous way to study self-control in childhood.

2. IDEA 2

   Waiting was linked to later outcomes

   Follow-up studies, Mischel reports, found that children who waited longer tended to have some better outcomes years later. He stresses this was a tendency, not destiny, and later research has debated how strong the link is.

3. IDEA 3

   Hot and cool systems compete

   Mischel describes two mental systems: a hot system, which is emotional and impulsive, and a cool system, which is reflective and calm. Self-control depends on letting the cool system take charge.

All 8 ideas from The Marshmallow Test →