A new look at the marshmallow experiment

Can your kid resist the marshmallow - or the M&M???

Jun 17, 2009
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Submitted by: Paula Schwed
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Ever heard of the marshmallow experiment?

It's a famous test conducted at Stanford University in the 1960s, when a marshmallow was provided to a group of 4-year-olds. Each time the kids were promised a second marshmallow - but only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some could wait, others couldn't.

Researchers tracked these kids into adolescence and found that those who delayed gratification and waited for the second marshmallow later turned out to be better adjusted, more dependable - and even scored an average 210 points higher on the SAT standardized assessments used for college admissions.

In his groundbreaking book, "Emotional Intelligence," Daniel Goleman cited the marshmallow experiment to illustrate the role that social and emotional skills like the ability to delay play in attaining success and happiness.

Now here's a hilarious video clip of young kids doing their best to resist candy right under their noses in an attempt to recreate the famous marshmallow experiment. Makes you laugh - and makes you think.

Visit WINGS to learn more about the definition of emotional intelligence

Are we there yet?

On June 19th, 2009 cristy mccrery says:
I remember the feeling I got the night before Christmas morning. I was so excited, so impatient, but yet, I had to wait because the rule was you can't open presents until the morning. Kids need more instances in their lives where they are being taught the value of delaying gratification. WINGS teaches kids that you're not always going to get what you want at the snap of a finger. People stay in school and work hard to eventually become what they want to be in life. Being a lawyer, a doctor, or even an NBA basketball player doesn't happen overnight. We tell them it's like climbing a ladder. You can't run up the ladder without falling. You have to take it one step at a time to eventually get to the top so you can fly.

Now or Later

On June 18th, 2009 Nicole Lovecchio says:
This year at WINGS we administered a social skills activity similar to this one to have the kids experience delayed gratification. We gave each kid one Now 'n Later candy. We told the kids that if they bring the candy to their WINGSLeader at dinner at the end of the day, they would get another one. We told them that they could eat it whenever they want and they didn't have to wait until the end of they day, bu tif they did then they would have two instead of just one. I asked the kids to raise their hands if they wanted a second Now 'n Later at the end of the day and EVERY kid raised his/her hand. I then reminded them that if they wanted a second one, they need to wait until dinner (2.5 hours later). Once the kids arrived in the cafeteria for dinner only about 1/3 of the kids had their candy. All the rest said they ate it at some point in the day. As the "extra" candy was passed out to those who could delay gratification, the other kids started to pout. It was a great way to teach delayed gratification and about choices. WINGSLeaders had a mini-discussion with their kids on the topic during dinner. It was interesting that many more of the younger kids resisted the urge to eat the candy than the 4th & 5th graders. I didn't expect that. The funniest part of the whole activity was the next day a 1st grader brought in his two Now 'n Laters and asked how many he got today! Nicole Lovecchio Program Director WINGS @ Chicora Elementary

Testing, testing 1 - 2 - 3

On June 18th, 2009 Liz Mester says:
I love this! A great visual example of what social and emotional intelligence looks like in young kids. Watching the video made me wonder if I could have been so disciplined at the age of 4. I highly doubt it - I didn't have WINGS!