Marshmallow Test Actually Test

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The marshmallow test was an experiment done with preschoolers to determine whether or not they were able to delay gratification or be weak-willed. They gave the preschoolers a plate of treats, for example, marshmallows. The children were then told the experimenter had to leave for a few minutes. Before the experimenter left they were given two choices: wait a few minutes until the experimenter comes back and get more treats or eat the treats right away and not get anymore. Willpower isn’t something where you either have or not it is something that can be taught to little kids and even adults. Mischel came up with a system called the “hot-and-cool” system. This system shows people how willpower and delaying gratification fails and succeeds. …show more content…

“She began to wonder how growing up in such a setting, full of change and uncertainty, might shape the way kids responded to the sort of situation Mischel’s study presented”(What Does the Marshmallow Test Actually Test). This implies, she was curious about how homeless children would react to the marshmallow test, especially since they are often promised things they don’t get. In the first part of her research an experimenter gave the children a piece of paper and jar of crayons. The experimenter gave the children two choices: wait for a better set of crayons or use those crayons. Many of the children wanted to wait for the better supplies, but the experimenter only came back with the better supplies for some of the kids. For the other kids the experimenter came back and said they were sorry, but didn’t have the supplies. For the second half of Celeste’s research she gave the kids the marshmallow test to see how they would do. She realized that the kids that got the better supplies earlier waited for the second marshmallow, but the kids who didn’t get the better supplies ate the marshmallow immediately. This shows, when the experimenter came back with the better supplies the kids trusted that they would come back with the second marshmallow. The kids that didn’t get the better supplies felt the experimenter was unreliable so they ate the marshmallow right away thinking they wouldn’t get the second one. It was as if the kids thought “I am going to eat the marshmallow now; they won’t come back with another”. The kids may have thought like this because of the test done before with the supplies. Many of the kids who waited for the better supplies held out a lot of hope that they would get their prize. The kids who held out hope, but didn’t receive a prize in return became less hopeful for everything else. The importance of hope is that

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