004. The Stockdale Paradox - The Marshmallow Test (Part 3 of 3)
Part 1 of this 3 part series was about James Stockdale and his ability to stay hopeful about getting out of Vietnam alive. In part 2, we went even further back in time to Viktor Frankl, where he similarly mentioned that it would be difficult to get out of the concentration camps, but it would be worth it. Today, I wanted to talk about a famous test that was definitely difficult for kids, but it was worth it!
Here’s a quick video on the experiment.
In this popular test, several kids wrestle with waiting to eat a marshmallow in hopes of a bigger prize. This video is a good illustration of temptation and the hope in future rewards. This experiment is based on many previous and similar scientific tests.
So a quick breakdown of the procedure.
Step 1: Bring the kid into a room with a marshmallow sitting on the table
Step 2: Tell the kid, “You can eat this marshmallow now, or if you wait until I get back, I’ll give you another one as well.”
Step 3: Leave the room for 15 minutes.
Obviously, if the kid waited, it was worth it! Although it was difficult, it was worth it!
In follow-up studies, the kids that waited were found to have higher SAT scores and achievement (1,2). This makes it even more worth it.
Want to have success, gain mastery, and attain achievement in your domain of choice, then understand that it is going to be difficult, but it will be worth it.
So the moral of the story; At the end of the day; To close…
Difficult is not bad. Difficult is not impossible. Difficult is just difficult, and you can do difficult things.
- Justin Su’a
1) Shoda, Y., Mischel, W., Peake, P. K., (1990). Predicting adolescent cognitive and self-regulatory competencies from preschool delay of gratification: Identifying diagnostic conditions" (PDF). Developmental Psychology. 6, 978–986.
2) Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., & Quan, H. (2018). Revisiting the marshmallow test: A conceptual replication investigating links between early delay of gratification and later outcomes". Psychological Science
