This presentation is on the benefits of Psychological Distancing.

1. A PRESENTATION ON
THE MARSHMALLOW TEST AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING
By
C.THAMOTHARAN, M.Sc.,

2. WALTER MISCHEL
(1930 to 2018)
THE AUSTRIAN BORN AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGIST
AND HIS TEAM
ARE CREDITED
WITH THE FAMOUS
MARSHMALLOW TEST.

3. THE TEST
MISCHEL’S TEAM WOULD PRESENT A CHILD
WITH A MARSHMALLOW.

4. THE CHILD COULD EITHER EAT THE
MARSHMALLOW
IMMEDIATELY,

5. OR, WAIT ALONE IN A ROOM FOR SEVERAL
MINUTES, WITHOUT EATING IT, WHILE THE
RESEARCHER WAS GONE.

6. ON HIS RETURN, IF THE CHILD HAD
WITHSTOOD THE TEMPTATION, IT
WOULD HAVE ONE MORE
MARSHMALLOW.

7. PURPOSE OF THE TEST
WAS TO MEASURE THE MENTAL STRENGTH OR
ABILITY OF A CHILD TO DELAY ITS REWARD OR
GRATIFICATION.

8. MISCHEL AND HIS TEAM FOLLOWED, FOR
DECADES, THE CHILDREN WHO HAD
SUCCEEDED IN THE TEST. THEY WERE
FOUND TO PERFORM BETTER
ACADEMICALLY,
EARN MORE MONEY AND BE HEALTHIER
AND HAPPIER.

9. THOUGH THE TEST WAS
SUBJECT TO MANY CONDITIONS,
IT PROVED ONE THING.
CHILDREN COULD RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF
ENJOYING AN IMMEDIATE REWARD,
TO GET A MORE VALUED ONE, LATER.
THIS ABILITY HAD HELPED THEM CULTIVATE SELF
CONTROL AND SELF REGULATION, WHICH FACT
WAS PROVED BY THEIR LATER LIFE
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.

10. MENTAL DISTANCING
THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE
TERM “MENTAL” ARE WELCOME TO USE
“PSYCHOLOGICAL”, INSTEAD.
IT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, MEANS:
TO POSTPONE ONE’S RESPONSE OR REACTION.
TO SEE THE LARGER PICTURE.
TO LOOK AT THINGS AND EVENTS IN A DETACHED WAY.

11. PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING
MEANS:
TO DESIST FROM ATTACHING SELF RELEVANT
MEANINGS TO EVENTS.
TO DESIST FROM FOCUSSING ON ONE’S SELF
WORTH.
TO DESIST FROM GIVING IMPORTANCE TO
ONE’S OWN GOALS.

12. IN SHORT,
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING IS TO LOOK AT
THINGS AND EVENTS, NOT AS AN AFFECTED
PERSON BUT, AS AN OBSERVER.

13. GENERALLY,
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING IS PRACTICED
IN TERMS OF
TIME AND SPACE.

14. BENEFITS
• WE GET TO SEE THE CORRECT PICTURE.
• WE BECOME AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES
OF OUR RESPONSE OR REACTION.
• OUR RESPONSE BECOMES POSITIVE.
• WE BECOME CREATIVE.
• WE ARE REWARDED TOO. THE LONG TERM
BENEFITS OVERWEIGH THE IMMEDIATE
DIFFICULTIES.

15. WHAT IS THE RELATION
BETWEEN
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING AND
THE MARSHMALLOW TEST?

16. SO, HOW DID THE CHILDREN
RESIST THEIR TEMPTATION
IN THE MARSHMALLOW TEST?

17. THEY FOLLOWED
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING
• THEY MADE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING IN
TIME.
• THEY BECAME CREATIVE BY IMAGINING THE
MARSHMALLOW AS A PHOTO OR PICTURE.
• ONE OF THE CHILDREN HAD TOLD, “YOU
CAN’T EAT A PICTURE.

18. PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCING
IN THE PANDEMIC DAYS
• WE CAN OVERCOME ALL THE INCONVENIENCES,
SO-CALLED DIFFICULTIES AND IMAGINARY
SUFFERINGS THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISTANCING.
• THINK OF THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF YOU,
YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR COUNTRY.
• WEARING A MASK OR FOLLOWING SOCIAL
DISTANCING OR WASHING HANDS WILL NOT BE
HARDER THAN RESISTING THE TEMPTATION OF A
MARSHMALLOW. WILL IT BE?

19. THANK YOU!