Is The Marshmallow Test Relevant In The Age of Instagram and Twitter?
Isn’t it time to consign this antiquated experiment to the dustbin of history?
Walter Mischel is a world renowned psychologist.
His marshmallow experiment has been repeated all around the world and one that is usually quoted by psychologists and non psychologists alike.
What exactly is the marshmallow test?
Walter Mischel devised an experiment in which three to five year old kids were placed in a room, all by themselves, with their favourite snack — marshmallow, a pretzel stick or any other type of candy and told them that if they could resist eating the candies for a few minutes, they would get to receive more treats.
According to Mischel, the child’s ability to delay gratification is inextricably linked to his or her IQ score and more importantly, their life outcomes.
For these guinea pigs (children) who resisted the urge to consume the marshmallow, they were found to have higher IQs, less body fat, much less likely to go to jail and…