Analysis Of Walter Mischel's Marshmallow Test

All throughout life we encounter situations where an acute sense of attention and focus is essential to achieve a goal and overcome obstacles. One such instance was Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow Test, introduced in 1986. His experiment prompted young children into situations that strained their ability to use focus and attention to achieve a goal. In this case, the goal was to be able to wait 15 minutes to be able to eat two marshmallow, instead of just eating the single marshmallow in front of you. Mischel claimed that children who were able to display a “delay of gratification” showed vastly higher SAT scores later in life compared to the children who decided to eat the first marshmallow outright. However, Sarah Kliff brings up the argument
One instance that touches on this ideal is the unique element of a “reliable and unreliable” adult in the Marshmallow Test. Kliff states in her article, The Marshmallow Test, Revisited that, “ Right before giving the kids a marshmallow, they would have an encounter with an adult. One would be unreliable and promise a bunch of fun art supplies that would never appear. Another would be reliable, delivering said art supplies as promised.” The number one influence on the pass rate of the marshmallow test is whether the kid trusts the tester, as shown in Kliffs document. Where as, a child who is given a distraction, such as new art supplies, will almost always pass, because they can focus on those art supplies to occupy the 15 min wait period. However, the children given the unreliable adult, has now been lied to, which brings the idea of a second marshmallow into question. Now, the children are almost destined to fail, the kids know they've been lied to once already, and with that seed of doubt planted, stuff their tiny faces with sweet marshmallow. Many psychologists and scientists who conducted this test are connecting this instance to the child's home environment. Celeste Kidd, a doctoral candidate in brain sciences says,“ If a child or adult lives in an environment where promises are broken and outcomes are unreliable, the most rational response is to eat the marshmallow right in front of