Issue 3
What’s HoT?
Explore
JAS 2017
I. Explore
Head or Tail
The Marshmallow Experiment
Imagine riding a car without brakes, full
speed. Living without self-control is much
like riding without brakes, if not worse.
Renowned psychologist Dr. Walter
Mischel, in 1960s setup ‘the surprise
room’ at Stanford University’s Bing
Nursery School. The surprise room hosted
A baby throws food, she is supposed to
many pre-schoolers for what was to
eat, on the floor. A toddler throws
become the iconic ‘Marshmallow Test’.
tantrum in supermarket,
One pre-schooler at a
rolling on the floor and
time, was brought in the
screaming for a candy. A
surprise room (an empty
child throws away his
small room with just a
basketball as he just
desk and chair). Dr.
cannot get it through
Mischel’s research
the basket. A teenager
assistant would then
throws a rave birthday
offer the kid one
party because all her
marshmallow (or any
The Marshmallow Test
friends did so. An
other treat the kid
adult throws away his
preferred) but would quickly give another
New Year resolution within weeks of
option. The kid could either eat the
making it. Such examples are so
marshmallow immediately or wait for 15
common that we hardly notice them.
minutes in the room, not eating the
While the baby’s action is normal for her
marshmallow, and be rewarded with one
age and stage, it will be eventually self-
more marshmallow.
destructive for her to grow up with (and
not grow out of) her impulses.
Several researches prove that self-control
(also known as delaying gratification and
will power) is critical to living a successful
and fulfilling life. What’s more? It can be
mastered over time.
Parents, time to throw hat in the ring for
self and children.
So the kids had a choice; to eat one now
or to wait for 15 minutes and get to eat
two marshmallows instead.
A few kids did not even wait for the
researcher to leave the room and ate the
marshmallow instantly. But some kids
survived the torturous 15 minutes in a
room with little else besides a
marshmallow that they must not eat.
5