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The Marshmallow Study That Sparked a Movement—and a Misunderstanding

In the late 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted one of the most well-known experiments in behavioral psychology: the Marshmallow Test.

Children were offered a choice—eat one marshmallow now, or wait 15 minutes and get two. The test seemed simple: delay gratification and receive a better reward.

Years later, researchers followed up with those same children. Early reports suggested that the ones who delayed gratification had better life outcomes—higher SAT scores, greater social competence, even better health.

The message was clear: self-control equals success. One small decision predicted an entire trajectory.

But over time, researchers began to look deeper—and the story became more complicated.