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muriel_volestrangler

(101,311 posts)

10. Do we know what else the kids were given to do in those 15 minutes?

Reply to gollygee (Original post)

Sat Jun 2, 2018, 04:31 AM

Jun 2018

If it's "not very much", then it could be a rational decision to think after a few minutes "I'll have the marshmallow now, because I'll get out of this room at the end and have other things to do, rather than eat 2 marshmallows".

I ask because I saw film of them setting up this experiment a few days ago, and the room the child was left in looked pretty boring. There is, after all, that experiment in which adults are able to give themselves mild electrical shocks, and many do, just to pass the time or see what's it's like.

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14 replies

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Why Rich Kids Are So Good at the Marshmallow Test [View all] gollygee Jun 2018 OP

"Experience tends to tell them that adults have the resources and financial stability to keep ... uponit7771 Jun 2018 #1

And does it control for a child's lack of interest in marshmallows? pnwmom Jun 2018 #2

heh, heh, same here! yonder Jun 2018 #7

so true. tho fire roasted well done is bearable. bissinger makes almost good eggs. pansypoo53219 Jun 2018 #11

Presumably that trait's randomly distributed. Igel Jun 2018 #13

A bet most kids who went on to business "success," ate it knowing they could steal some more. Hoyt Jun 2018 #3

Marshmallows are no big deal for a rich kid. ThoughtCriminal Jun 2018 #4

This goes directly to my first thought on the subject Sentath Jun 2018 #5

yep, always my first thought as well. This seems so obvious that it had to take JCanete Jun 2018 #8

While The Atlantic seemed to suggest this Igel Jun 2018 #14

I don't think this experiment proves much of anything. Sophia4 Jun 2018 #6

I think first they should have offered a child a choice of several edibles. pnwmom Jun 2018 #9

Do we know what else the kids were given to do in those 15 minutes? muriel_volestrangler Jun 2018 #10

It could also be to do with subjects' trust of the experimenters. Denzil_DC Jun 2018 #12