The Sweet Science of Success: The Marshmallow Test and Your Financial Future
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a psychologist named Walter Mischel conducted a series of simple experiments at Stanford University that would eventually change the way we understand human behavior and success. The premise was deceptively simple: a child was brought into a room, sat down at a table, and offered a choice. On the table was a single marshmallow. The researcher told the child that they had to leave the room for a few minutes. If the child waited until the researcher returned without eating the marshmallow, they would be rewarded with a second one. However, if the child ate the marshmallow before the researcher came back, they would not get another. This experiment, famously known as the 'Marshmallow Test,' became a cornerstone of psychological research into delayed gratification.
- Delayed Gratification:
- The ability to resist an immediate small reward in order to receive a larger or more valuable reward later.
- Compound Interest:
- Interest calculated on both the initial amount of money saved and the interest that has already been added.
- Limbic System:
- A part of the brain that deals with emotions and basic survival impulses like hunger.
- Prefrontal Cortex:
- The front part of the brain used for complex planning, decision-making, and self-control.
- Opportunity Cost:
- The value of what you give up when you choose one option over another.
- correlation:
- A connection or relationship between two things where they tend to happen together or change at the same time.
- scrutiny:
- The careful, close, and critical examination of an idea, study, or claim.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What specific choice were children offered in Walter Mischel's original Marshmallow Test?
- 2According to the follow-up studies, what were three positive life outcomes for children who successfully waited for the second marshmallow?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“The Sweet Science of Success: The Marshmallow Test and Your Financial Future” is a explanatory article reading passage about Delayed Gratification, written for Middle School. It takes about 7 minutes to read (996 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.