The Marshmallow Test“Who would ever guess that a brief observation of a four-year old alone with a marshmallow would be an excellent predictor of college entrance exam scores — twice as good a predictor as IQ test scores?” - Arnold Kling, CNBC News

Previous Research The marshmallow test is an

“impulse control” test. Children are given a choice.

They can:1. Eat one marshmallow

immediately OR2. Wait a certain time period

an receive two marshmallows

It tests the patience, logic, and impulse control of children.

The results are known to predict things about the children – such as SAT scores.

The chart to the side compares SAT scores of students who chose one marshmallow and those who chose two.

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Category 1

Chose 1Chose 2

(SAT scores are verbal + math)

Previous ResearchThis test was first conducted by Walter Mischel of

Stanford University.

He created this simple test to determine the ability of small children to control impulses and delay gratification.

This test has since been recreated numerous times across the country – like our experiment now.

Similar conclusions have been drawn from the studies: the test scores correlate with the child’s ability to reason and think critically.

Previous ResearchSources:1.) “The Politics of the Authoritarian Marshmallow

Test”http://www.cnbc.com//id/39967670?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter2.) “The Marshmallow Test: Psychological

Experiments in Self- Control”www.eatmedaily.com/2009/09/psychological-experiments-in-self-control-the-marshmallow-test/

3.) Marshmallow experiment videowww.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/14675/The-Marshmallow-Test

HypothesisWe have made our hypothesis based on our

previous research. Our previous research shows that the child who

waits for the second marshmallow will have higher SAT scores.

We are replacing exam scores with those of a first grade math test.

These exam scores judge the level of logic and thinking skills the first grader has.

Our hypothesis is that if the children wait for two marshmallows, then they will have better test scores because they need logic and thinking skills to determine that waiting for a second marshmallow is more beneficial than not waiting and just having one.

Procedures/Methods1. A student (around age 7) is placed in a room

individually.2. A single marshmallow is placed on a plate in front of

them.3. The instructor gives the student the option to either

eat the single marshmallow immediately or to wait five minutes to eat two marshmallows.

4. The student gives their reply. If they choose to eat the marshmallow immediately,

they are returned to their class and results are recorded.

If they choose to wait five minutes for another marshmallow, their wait is recorded on camera (to make sure the student doesn’t eat the marshmallow) and their results (whether they actually ate it or not) are recorded.

5. The student who waits is rewarded with a second marshmallow.

6. The results of the experiment are compared with the student’s score on a standardized test.

Procedures/MethodsOur procedures and results are different

than those exhibited in our previous research.

Other tests show results over a longitudinal period and give results later in the subject’s life.

Our experiment is different in the way that it offers immediate results.

Instead of waiting for SAT scores, we will replace them with a first grade math test.

Procedures/MethodsVideo explaining the procedures of our

experiment:

www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/14675/The-Marshmallow-Test

Materials1. A bag of Jumbo-sized

marshmallows2. A group of 15 first-graders

(around age 7)3. A flip-video camera4. Writing/paper materials to

record information5. A school building with a room

to place the child in alone

Additional materials: Parent consent forms to ask whether their child can or cannot be included in this experiment.

FacilitiesWe are using Ms. Whittingslow’s reading class

at Oglethorpe elementaryWe have been granted permission from the

school authorities to enter the school and perform this experiment

Our last experiment was done with Ms. Whittingslow’s math class. The students are different in this experiment.

SubjectsOur subjects are a first grade class of 15

students, 8 girls and 7 boys (Between the ages of 6 and 7).

They are a class that is below level for academics.

DataThe following movie consists of clips of

some of our subjects during the experiment. (Click to play)

Data ContinuedThe test we used was the following:

ResultsClass Results

Recieved One MarshmallowReceived Two Marshmallows

Out of the class of 15, 12(80 %) students waited to receive two marshmallows. The other 3 (20%), only received one marshmallow.

Results ContinuedStudent Number

Test Score

1 90%

2 100%

3 100%

4 70%

5 100%

6 100%

7 100%

8 50%

9 90%

10 90%

11 90%

12 100%

13 100%

14 60%

15 100%

Analysis

On the test, 8 students scored 100% and 4 students scored 90%. These 12 students all waited for the second marshmallow. The 3 students who scored 70% or lower, did not wait for the second marshmallow.

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ount

of S

tude

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Conclusion80% (12/15) of the class waited for the second

marshmallow. This same group of subjects all had test scores

with 90% or higher.20% (3/15) of the class did not wait for the

second marshmallow. This same group of subjects scored 70% or

lower on the test. Our hypothesis was correct. Like our research predicted, students who

make higher test scores are more likely to make the logical decision to wait for a second marshmallow.

We predict that the students who waited for the second marshmallow will continue to score higher on exams than their classmates who chose one marshmallow.

To better our experiment…Our research demonstrates an extended

experiment. It tracks test scores throughout the subject’s education.

We could not do this, because our experiment was done inside of a certain time limit.

Our experiment is just a sample of the larger experiments previously done. Therefore, the results may have varied.

Sara MorrisonSarah Whittingslow

Kate Faulk