Cotton candy experiment

In 1960s, psychologists at Stanford University conducted a classic experiment on children's self-control-the famous marshmallow experiment. The experimental method is to bring a kindergarten child into a house with tables and chairs. The researcher first asked the child to sit in a chair, and then asked him to choose a snack from the table, which could be cotton candy, biscuits or biscuits. Suppose the child likes marshmallows now, then he has two choices. One option is that he can eat this marshmallow now. Another option is that he can wait for the researcher to go out for a while, usually 15 minutes, and then wait for the researcher to come back. If he doesn't eat the marshmallow in front of him, he can get another marshmallow, that is, two marshmallows. If the child is impatient, he can also choose to give up, so he will get the marshmallow in front of him immediately, but he will also give up the chance to get the second marshmallow.

The marshmallow experiment is a classic experiment about delayed gratification paradigm. In the marshmallow experiment, there is a significant correlation between the waiting time of the child and the score he got when he took the "American College Entrance Examination" SAT when he grew up. This experiment has been carried out in many countries around the world, not only in the United States, but also with similar results. This experiment has aroused people's widespread concern and subverted the previous view that IQ can predict a person's success, so that self-control has replaced intelligence and become an important factor in determining whether a person can succeed.

See Perseverance: Release the power of passion and persistence.