The Marshmallow Test

I read an interesting study in Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, and I thought I would pass it along. The text below is taken from Wikipedia:

Mischel’s famous longitudinal research study, “The Marshmallow Test,” showed the importance of impulse control and delayed gratification for academic, emotional and social success. In the 1960s at the preschool on the Stanford University campus, Mischel put marshmallows in front of a room full of 4-year-olds. He told them they could have one marshmallow now, but if they could wait several minutes, they could have two. Some children eagerly grabbed a marshmallow and ate it. Others waited, some having to cover their eyes in order not to see the tempting treat and one child even licked the table around the marshmallow. Mischel followed the group and found that, 14 years later, the “grabbers” suffered low self-esteem and were viewed by others as stubborn, prone to envy and easily frustrated. The “waiters” were better copers, more socially competent and self-assertive, trustworthy, dependable and more academically successful. This group even scored about 210 points higher on their SATs.

Completely fascinating. It makes me wonder which of my students today would be “grabbers” or “waiters”.