The marshmallow test involved young children being placed in a room with a marshmallow and being told they could eat it immediately or wait 15 minutes to receive a second marshmallow. Researchers found that children who were able to wait tended to have greater success as adults. This initial experiment led to further research on personality traits like self-control and their correlation to later life outcomes. The findings suggested these traits that predict success in children could help identify favorable characteristics for predicting corporate job performance as well.

1. THE MARSHMALLOW
TEST
By: Anna Lee Green
Period 4

2. INSTITUTE INVOLVED
Stanford

3. MAJOR RESEARCHERS
Walter Mischel: Stanford professor
of psychology that was in charge
of this experiment.

4. PARTICIPANTS
Young children around
the age of 4 or 5.

5. YEARS OF STUDY
1960’s
(later continued through present
day)

6. YEAR PUBLISHED
2009
published about the connection
between the test and success
rate.

7. CONCEPT TESTED
Originally will power and self-
control were being tested, but
later the tested concept became
how the given situation would
relate to success later in life.

8. PROCEDURES
Hypothesis: If a child is able to wait for a second
marshmallow and problem solve with their self control
then they will have a high success rate as an adult.
Experimental group: 653 children (about 4-5 years of
age)
Operational definition: Place a child in a small empty
room with only a table with a marshmallow on it. Tell
the child they have two choices 1) eat the marshmallow
now and only have one 2) or wait fifteen minutes
without eating the first to receive a second. Leave the
child alone for 15 minutes with the marshmallow and
observe how they react.

9. PROCEDURES
Dependent variable: whether or not they will receive a
second marshmallow
Independent variable: whether they eat the first
marshmallow or not
Results: Children who waited fifteen minutes to receive
the second marshmallow seem to be more successful as
adults compared to the children who did not wait only
received one marshmallow.
“Children who are able to pass the marshmallow
test enjoy greater success as adults”

10. IMPACT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL
COMMUNITY
This wasn’t a huge psychological
finding. It did allow psychologist to see
a link between a certain personality
trait and success.

11. IMPACT ON FURTHER
RESEARCH
The original test was just to observe self- control
in children, but it led to further research. Mischel
wanted to find out if there was any correlation
between the children’s ability of self- control and
their success as an adult. There seemed to be
some correlation so he has been continuing to
study the participants. This lead to Mischel doing
more studies on children's personalities such
as, aggression.

12. IMPACT ON PUBLIC
This allows us to look for these traits in our children
and attempt to help them improve them. Almost
everyone wants their child to be successful, so this
helps give us an incite as to whether or not the have
natural personality traits that lead to success.

13. IMPACT IN THE CORPORATE
WORLD
The children who had success with the marshmallow
test were more successful in the corporate world.
Corporate companies could give their employees a
similar test. Obviously not as simple and not using
marshmallows, but a test that would allow them to
see what members have favorable traits.