One Marshmallow or Two?

This video is a demonstration of delayed gratification in children. Each child is given one marshmallow and told that if the marshmallow is still there when the experimenter returns then she/he will receive another marshmallow. The children who waited ended up being more successful later in life and were more focused as shown by the follow up study years later. The children who ate the first marshmallow were described as more impulsive and less focused in the study years later. The good thing about this is that even if a child eats the first marshmallow they aren’t doomed to the fate of only doing immediate gratification. It is possible for parents to enforce techniques to help their children learn the benefits of delayed gratification.