What did the marshmallow experiment show?
This is the premise of a famous study called “the marshmallow test,” conducted by Stanford University professor Walter Mischel in 1972. The experiment measured how well children could delay immediate gratification to receive greater rewards in the future—an ability that predicts success later in life.
What are the independent and dependent variable in the marshmallow test?
To create an experiment derived off the original delayed gratification experiment conducted by Walter Mischel in the 1960s and 1970s at Stanford University, we chose to use grade eights (approximately age 13-14) and grade ones (approximately age 5-6) to be our independent variable, and used large white marshmallows to …
What kind of research is the marshmallow test?
The marshmallow test is an experimental design that measures a child’s ability to delay gratification. The child is given the option of waiting a bit to get their favourite treat, or if not waiting for it, receiving a less-desired treat.
What are the implications of the marshmallow test?
The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills as reported by their parents, and generally better scores in a range of …
Is the marshmallow experiment ethical?
Yes, the marshmallow test is completely ethical. It is conducted by presenting a child with an immediate reward (typically food, like a marshmallow)…
What are the limitations of the marshmallow experiment?
The original marshmallow test showed that preschoolers’ delay times were significantly affected by the experimental conditions, like the physical presence/absence of expected treats. The original test sample was not representative of preschooler population, thereby limiting the study’s predictive ability.