Who is the author of The Marshmallow Test?

The author of The Marshmallow Test is Walter Mischel.

Personal Development

The Marshmallow Test Book Summary - The Marshmallow Test Book explained in key points

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The Marshmallow Test summary

Name: The Marshmallow Test
Rating: 4.5 (81 reviews)
Author: Walter Mischel

Walter Mischel

Mastering Self-Control

4.5 (81 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

The Marshmallow Test by Walter Mischel explores how self-control affects our success in life. Through research findings, Mischel provides strategies for developing self-control in individuals and society for overall well-being.

Topics

Decision-Making The Brain Success Self-Help Personality Confidence

Table of Contents

The Marshmallow Test
Summary of 8 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Learn all about self-control.

In the 1960s, the author of this book, Walter Mischel, performed a famous psychological experiment on children. They were shown a treat (often a marshmallow), then told they could either eat it now, or wait and have two later.

This seemingly simple experiment as well as the follow-up studies on the child participants immensely deepened our understanding of human self-control. In The Marshmallow Test, Mischel revisits the topic, and gives detailed information on how exactly our brains regulate our actions when we’re up against a temptation. He also explains how self-control skills develop when we’re a child, and why they’re so important to us throughout our entire lives. In these blinks, you’ll learn about how your self-control works, and what you can do to improve it.

You’ll also learn

why certain kids could resist the marshmallow and others couldn’t;
what the Cookie Monster taught kids about resisting immediate gratification; and
how parents’ interactions with their toddler influence the toddlers’ self-control as adults.

The “marshmallow test” was developed to understand how children control their urges.

Have you ever teased a young child by offering her a treat, then saying she can’t eat it right away?

If not, that’s alright, because scientists have done it for you in a clinical test! It was called the Marshmallow Test, and it provided us with some interesting insights on human behavior:

For the test, children were first allowed to choose their favorite treat. A researcher would tell the child they could either have the treat now, or have two later after the researcher had left and come back. Then the researcher left the room, but told the child they could call them back if they couldn’t wait any longer. The child was then left alone with the treat on a tray in front of them.

Researchers secretly watched the children to see how they would handle the situation. Naturally, some children ate the treat right away. Others waited a bit, then ate it. Some children, however, managed to resist the treat, and they all used the same strategy to do so. The children who successfully resisted eating their treats managed it by distracting themselves from it.

They used different strategies for this. Some sang songs, and others tilted and played with their chairs.

The kids came up with those strategies themselves, but then the experimenters tried teaching the children distraction techniques beforehand. This turned out to help the children a great deal.

Before the test, researchers taught the children if-then plans. For example, if my hand moves towards the treat, then I will start singing a song. When the children reminded themselves of what they were doing each time they went for the treat, they found it easier to wait.

The Marshmallow Test seems simple, but it actually has profound implications, as you’ll see in the following blinks.

The part of our brain that regulates our self-control develops as we grow up.

How do we decide whether or not to give into temptation? Should we eat that chocolate bar, or resist it?

Our self-control depends on two systems that are functioning in our body: one that instantly reacts to our environment, and one that controls our behavior.

Our environment shapes our self-control abilities.

We’ve seen that self-control is regulated by two biological systems in our body. You might think that implies our genes determine our self-control, but this is not true.

Like any other skill, self-control is partly genetic, but it can also change quite a bit depending on our environment – and on us.

How much self-control we have depends on the context, but it’s ultimately unlimited.

When the public heard about President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, many wondered if he could still be trusted as president. They figured if he lacked self-control and honesty in his personal life, he must lack it in his political life as well.

In fact, our self-control depends on context. If someone can’t control herself sexually, it doesn’t necessarily mean she can’t control herself at work. We choose the situations in which we exercise our self-control.

The result of a child’s performance in the Marshmallow Test correlates with their self-control as an adult.

You might think that the Marshmallow Test was a simple psychological experiment just for children. Actually, the results of the children who participated were shown to correlate strongly with their life as adults.

In follow-up studies, when the children who’d participated in the Marshmallow Test were older, researchers did another assessment. The children who managed to wait longer for their treats were assessed as being more successful later in life.

Children should be taught that they’re capable of making their own decisions, and that those decisions have consequences.

So, we've seen that teaching children self-control is crucial during their upbringing. Let's look at how exactly this can be done.

Children need to understand that the choices they make have consequences. When we're young, we typically get any self-control strategies we use from our parents. Thus, it's important that parents support their children and be there for them, but also give them a sense of autonomy.

You can improve your self-control skills by concentrating on the future, and putting distance between you and your temptation.

Exercising self-control can be very difficult at times, but the good news is that this is something we can practice.

So, how does one do this? Well, try to focus on the long-term consequences of your behavior, instead of instant gratification.

In addition to parents, teachers and even TV programs can teach children the importance of self-control.

We’ve seen that parents play a vital role in the development of a child’s self-control skills. But what about kids whose parents fail to do this? What about the other influences in their life?

Aside from parents, teachers have a huge impact on this kind of development.

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What is The Marshmallow Test about?

The Marshmallow Test explains why being able to delay gratification and exercise our self-control is essential for living a successful life. Using insights gained from several psychological studies, it explains how exactly our self-control skills function, and what we can do to improve them.

The Marshmallow Test Review

The Marshmallow Test (2014) by Walter Mischel offers a fascinating exploration of self-control and its impact on our lives. Here's why this book is definitely worth a read:

Through compelling research findings and personal stories, the book sheds light on the power of delayed gratification and how it can shape our future success.
Mischel's extensive studies and experiments provide insightful revelations about human behavior and the factors that influence our ability to resist temptation.
With its engaging narrative and thought-provoking insights, the book captivates readers, ensuring an enjoyable and enlightening reading experience.

Best quote from The Marshmallow Test

The power resides in the prefrontal cortex, which, if activated, allows almost endless ways of cooling hot, tempting stimuli by changing how they are appraised.

—Walter Mischel

Who should read The Marshmallow Test?

Anyone who wants to improve his or her self-control
Anyone interested in psychology
Anyone hoping to help children develop good self-control skills, especially parents

About the Author

Walter Mischel is a renowned psychologist and writer. He invented the “marshmallow test” when studying child psychology in the 1960s, and he was educated at New York University, City College of New York and Ohio State University.

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Personal Development Psychology

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