The Great Marshmallow Test

There is a rather famous psychology test on delayed gratification first conducted by Walter Mischel in the 1960s. Dubbed "The Marshmallow Test," the experiment involves placing a child in a room on a chair in front of a table. On the table is a plate with a single large marshmallow on it. The child is told that they have a choice. They can either eat the marshmallow in front of them now, or they can wait until the adult leaves the room for 20 minutes and then comes back. If they can make it all the way through without eating the marshmallow, then they can have TWO marshmallows--the one in front of them, and a second one that will be given to them by the returning adult. The subjects are then studied later in life to see if those who possessed better impulse control at an early age were better adjusted adults. The version of the test below happened to be videotaped. The struggle of the kids to not eat the marshmallow is pretty hysterical. This should brighten up your day just a bit. :)