Areté +1° #256: The Marshmallow Test #1574

Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Areté +1°

Walter Mischel is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of willpower. You may be familiar with his classic study called The Marshmallow Test.

Here’s the quick story: Preschool kids are brought into a simple little room. An adult tells the child that they’re going to leave the room for a bit and that she can have ONE treat (a marshmallow or pretzel or other treat) NOW or… If she can wait a little while, she can have TWO treats when the adult comes back into the room.