# What is your Marshmallow IQ?



## David Baxter PhD (Dec 14, 2008)

What is your Marshmallow IQ?
_Psychology and You_
December 14, 2008

Typically, when we assume that a persons intelligence can be measured by their IQ.  Although IQ is a good general predictor of intelligence, marshmallows may be even better!

In a psychological study conducted at Stanford University, researchers tested a 4 year old child?s ability to delay gratification and how this affected their lives as teenagers and adults.

The study goes something like this: A room with a man in a lab coat, a child, and a marshmallow in front of the child. The researchers told the child that they had to run some errands for a few minutes and that they could eat the marshmallow directly in front of them right away, but if they waited for the researcher to return, they could have two marshmallows instead.

The findings of this study are very surprising. Two thirds of the children were able to delay gratification and one third snatched up the marshmallow within seconds of the researcher leaving the room. The children who delayed gratification had higher social competence, resilience to high stress situations, high trustworthiness, and were better able to cope with the frustrations of life. They embraced challenges and pursued them even in the face of difficulties.  The third of the children who could not resit the temptation displayed a more troubled psychological profile as teenagers and adults. This group were socially aloof, stubborn, easily upset by trivial situations (especially not getting what they want!), had stronger feelings of worthlessness and jealousy, and were immobilized by stressful situations. Not exactly an ideal member of society!

As it turns out, ones ability to delay gratification is twice as good at predicting SAT performance than IQ! In an academic setting, those who were able to delay gratification scored between 16-23% higher on SAT exams than those who were not able to deffer gratification.

The take home lesson: keep your kids away from the sweets.


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## NicNak (Dec 14, 2008)

If it were chocolate I would have been in big trouble.  

I would have had a one up though on this study, I don't like marshmellows


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## David Baxter PhD (Dec 14, 2008)

NicNak said:


> I would have had a one up though on this study, I don't like marshmellows



Marshmallows?  Delay of gratification? I'll show you delay of gratification! How about... oh, 10 years? :smack:


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## NicNak (Dec 14, 2008)

:lmao:

I wonder what the researchers would have done if there was a major delay.  :yuk:


"Eat it!"  Says the researcher,   :nah: says the child. "Call security, the reasearchers say  "EAT IT!"  They yell again. :bash::bash:.  Then one would have to wonder about the researchers haa haa haa

Then there would be a study on anger management for researchers in studies. haa haa haa


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## David Baxter PhD (Dec 14, 2008)

That's mandatory reportable child abuse...


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## NicNak (Dec 14, 2008)

Ohh for sure.

I just would have been a very fustrating candidate as a child :blush:

*NicNak added 2 Minutes and 46 Seconds later...*

ok, ok, as an adult too :vroom:


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## Lana (Dec 15, 2008)

Now see....if a study was done using a...hmm...a chocolate eclair (yum!) I think I'd deliberately take one and call it weight control.  However, marshmallows have no trans fat, just sugar, so yeah, I may have waited for the second one.


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## Atlantean (Jan 26, 2009)

Lana said:


> Now see....if a study was done using a...hmm...a chocolate eclair (yum!) I think I'd deliberately take one and call it weight control.  However, marshmallows have no trans fat, just sugar, so yeah, I may have waited for the second one.



LOL, no, if you were using eclairs, you could suck out the filling, and when they came back they wouldnt even know anything was missing.  '-)

:allecto:


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## Meg (Jan 27, 2009)

Atlantean said:


> LOL, no, if you were using eclairs, you could suck out the filling, and when they came back they wouldnt even know anything was missing.  '-)
> 
> :allecto:



Now there's some creative problem solving!  I wonder whether that would get you a higher score than delayed gratification??


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## Atlantean (Jan 27, 2009)

Meg said:


> Now there's some creative problem solving!  I wonder whether that would get you a higher score than delayed gratification??



lol, well I have always been creative thinker.


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## arlene (Feb 21, 2009)

So based on marshmallow we could know what a child could be when they grow up. I'm going to try this to my nephew. Thanks for info..


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## Daniel (Sep 22, 2010)

"If you think that your child will grow to become a clean, sober, and  abstinent teenager just because he has the willpower to hold out for two  marshmallows later instead of one marshmallow now, think again."

The Dark Side of Self-Control - Psychology Today


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