If a child rang the bell early and wanted to have a marshmallow immediately, they were more reliant on a “hot” system of thinking and were willing to sacrifice a bigger reward in the future (two marshmallows) for a smaller but immediately satisfying reward (one marshmallow). If the researchers were not summoned by the ringing of the bell, they returned to the room after fifteen minutes. If the child couldn’t resist the treats, they were instructed to ring a bell that would bring the researchers back to the room early, and they would only be allowed to eat one marshmallow.

Each child was told that the researchers would leave for a few minutes, and if the child could resist eating any of the treats until the researchers returned, they could have two marshmallows. Children between the ages of three and five were led into this room one-by-one to be tested individually. The Marshmallow Test began with Mischel and his team of researchers placing a plate of treats (usually marshmallows) on a table in an otherwise empty room. The Marshmallow Test was a study conducted by psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960s and 1970s to explore self-control in a group of children and see whether these children tended towards a “hot” or “cool” system of thinking. If you would rather buy the product immediately at a higher price, you lean more towards the “hot” system, and if you would wait to buy the product a few months later at a lower price, you lean more towards the “cool” system. Everyday tests of self-control, like the temptation of an expensive product you want to buy at the mall, will reveal whether a person relies more on their “hot” system of thinking or their “cool” one. Meanwhile, the “cool” system makes choices based on logic, considering all the possible consequences of your actions and making decisions that will benefit you in the long-run. Do you go with your immediate urge to buy the item right now, or do you listen to the reasonable part of your brain and wait? The AnswerĮveryone has a “hot” system of thinking and a “cool” system of thinking - the “hot” system makes choices based on your emotions, and these are usually quick, impulsive decisions that only satisfy your short-term desires.

You know that if you just wait a couple of months, the hype around this item that you really want will die down, and the price will drop significantly. Picture yourself in a mall, staring at a very expensive product that you really, really want - maybe a piece of clothing from a high-end fashion designer, or a newly released gaming system.

The marshmallow test mischel