What is the marshmallow experiment?

The marshmallow experiment, also known as the Stanford marshmallow experiment or the delayed gratification experiment, was conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960s and published in 1972 in his book _Personality and Assessment_.

The experiment famously tested young children's ability to delay gratification, assessing whether they would prefer to eat one marshmallow immediately or wait and receive two marshmallows later. The results showed that children who were able to delay gratification tended to have better outcomes academically, socially, and psychologically than children who were not able to delay gratification.

Here are the steps of the marshmallow experiment:

1. A child is brought into a room and seated at a table.

2. A single marshmallow is placed on a plate in front of the child.

3. The child is told that if they can wait for a certain amount of time (usually 15 minutes), they will be given a second marshmallow.

4. The child is left alone in the room with the marshmallow.

5. The experimenter observes the child's behavior during the waiting period.

6. After the waiting period, the experimenter gives the child the second marshmallow.

Mischel's research found that some children were able to wait for the second marshmallow, while others were unable to resist the temptation to eat the first marshmallow immediately. The children who were able to wait longer tended to have better outcomes in life, including higher SAT scores, better grades, and healthier relationships.

The marshmallow experiment has been criticized for its small sample size and for not taking into account cultural differences in children's behavior. However, it has been replicated many times and its findings have been found to be consistent across different cultures.