The Marshmallow Secret: Can a Treat Predict Your Future Success?
Psych 🧠- 401/500
Hey Reader,
Lately, I’ve been learning more about human nature—why we make strange decisions, or act against our best interest. So, I made this 150+ powerful psychological biases into one guide: The Psych Handbook. Take a look!
It’s not academic or overwhelming — just clear, useful insights to help you make sense of yourself and others (1-2 minute reads)
What is it?
The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment (1972), led by psychologist Walter Mischel, explored the concept of delayed gratification i.e. the ability to resist an immediate reward in order to receive a larger one later.
In the study, children were offered one marshmallow immediately or two if they could wait 15 minutes alone. Some waited, others didn’t.
The experiment revealed that the ability to delay gratification was linked to better life outcomes, including academic performance, emotional regulation, and goal-setting ability.
Psychologically, this ties into self-control, executive function, and future-oriented thinking. It showed how early development of impulse control can significantly influence behavior and success later in life.
Examples & Modern Relevance:
Saving vs. Spending: Choosing to save money instead of buying something immediately reflects delayed gratification.
Diet & Fitness Goals: Resisting junk food now to maintain long-term health or fitness reflects similar self-regulatory behavior.
Studying vs. Procrastinating: Doing hard work now for future success echoes the marshmallow choice dynamic.
Support this newsletter by buying the psychology handbook!👇
This Handbook explains 150+ biases & fallacies in simple language with emojis.
Or the Amazon Kindle copy from here.
What do I need to know:
Delayed Gratification is Powerful: The ability to wait can lead to better long-term results in various life areas.
Self-Control is a Skill: It can be developed with strategies like distraction, visualization, and habit-building.
Context Matters: A child's environment (trust, stability, socioeconomic background) affects their decision-making.
Source & EXTRAS:
Follow-up Research (Shoda et al., 1990s): Found that kids who delayed gratification had better SAT scores, social skills, and stress coping abilities later in life.
Recent Reanalysis (Watts et al., 2018): Showed that socio-economic background also plays a significant role, and not all success can be explained by self-control alone.