Chapter 04 of 5
The Marshmallow Test
A famous test of willpower — and what bigger studies found.
- The Setup
One treat now, or two later
In the late 1960s, children at a Stanford nursery were offered one treat now, or two if they could wait while the researcher left the room.
- The Researcher
Walter Mischel
Psychologist Walter Mischel ran the studies to understand how young children manage to delay gratification.
- The Wait
Up to 15 minutes
Children could ring a bell at any time to get the single treat, or wait up to around 15 minutes for two.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What did a 2012 study find affected how long children waited for the second treat?
🧪 Experiments That Shocked Psychology
- 01Just Following OrdersMilgram's obedience experiments — and what they really showed.
- 02The Lines That LiedHow a room full of wrong answers changes what people say they see.
- 03The Prison in the BasementThe Stanford Prison Experiment — and why its famous lesson is now doubted.
- 04The Marshmallow TestA famous test of willpower — and what bigger studies found.
- 05The Replication CrisisWhen famous findings didn't hold up — and how science fixed itself.