The Marshmallow Experiment

The “Marshmallow Experiment“ is a well-known test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University. A group of four-year-olds were given one marshmallow and promised a second one on the condition that they wait twenty minutes before eating the first one. Some children were able to wait and others could not. The researchers demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable, and scored significantly higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
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