March 27, 2013

Penn Research: Quitting Marshmallow Test Can Be a Rational Decision




A psychological experiment known as “the marshmallow test” has captured the public’s imagination as a marker of self control and even as a predictor of future success. This test shows how well children can delay gratification, a trait that has been shown to be as important to scholastic performance as traditional IQ.

New research from University of Pennsylvania psychologists suggests, however, that changing one’s mind about delaying gratification can be a rational decision in situations when the timing of the payoff is uncertain.